Advanta Seeds Enters Soybean Market in Brazil, Expands R&D in India

Advanta Seeds, which already sells corn, sorghum, sunflower, and canola seeds in Brazil, has announced it is entering the country’s soybean market with two new soybean seeds – ADV 4317 IPRO and ADV 4341 IPRO, under the brand name, ‘Vereda’.

The new soybean varieties were developed with Don Mario’s genetic material and INTACTA technology.

"The germplasm is in early maturity and well adapted to the region of Cerrado, and it was developed specifically for that area,” said Advanta Seeds Brazil CEO, Edison Kopacheski. “With the Vereda line, Advanta Seeds will contribute to the main export market of Brazil. According to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), in June 2015, soybean is 49.1% of Brazilian exported crops. Advanta Seeds is on a mission to meet the growing demand for soybean.”

Brazil has been marked by Advanta Seeds as a growth market for the company, which plans to invest BRL200 million (US$51 million) in the region to be focused on R&D and production, according to Advanta Seeds CEO, Claudio Torres. The company has moved its headquarters to Campinas from Florianópolis in order to be closer to the Cerrado, and has established a new R&D satellite in Sorriso, one of the top grain producing regions of the world, boasting 9 million hectares of soybeans and 3.4 million hectares of safrinha corn.

Advanta is also investing in its expansion in India with a new research lab in the R&D Station in Hyderabad. The new pathology lab, which will focus on disease resistance in field crops and vegetables in India, will be part of the company’s existing Biotech and Double Haploid Facility and will have the most up-to-date culture and sterilization rooms, equipment, and growth chambers.

"Developing new research facilities in different geographies allows Advanta Seeds to provide better solutions for farmers, stay close to its customers and increase the global food security for future generations,” says Dr. Alberto Leon, Global R&D Director for Advanta Seeds.