Tilbury, ON (March 28, 2019) – With the goal of meeting customer needs across Canada both now and into the future, Maizex Seeds has announced it is expanding seed corn production through the purchase of the former Dow AgroSciences seed corn facility located in Blenheim, Ontario.
“This expansion and investment in Canadian seed production is in large part thanks to the trust Canadian farmers have placed in Maizex Seeds, along with the growth we are experiencing through our announced joint venture with Sollio Agriculture,” says Dave Baute, President and CEO of Maizex Seeds. Maizex currently produces and processes seed corn in its facility located near Tilbury, Ontario.
“The purchase of the Blenheim seed corn plant is an excellent fit, which will allow us to more than double our current capacity in a premier area for seed corn production. Importantly, we are also able to work with experienced growers who, like our current seed producers, understand the importance of seed quality.” He adds that Maizex will be further investing in the Blenheim location to modernize the plant and equipment to meet anticipated demand.
“We are proud of the growth we are seeing in Maizex Seeds and this expansion plays an important role in supporting the growth we see in the combined businesses going forward,” adds Sébastien Léveillé, Executive Vice-President of Sollio Agriculture, formerly known as the Agri-Business division of La Coop fédérée. Through the joint venture agreement Maizex Seeds is now responsible for the seed corn and seed soybean sales of both companies with seed corn sold under the Maizex Seeds brand and soybeans under the Elite seeds brand.
The Blenheim facility is located in Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario, which is the primary region for seed corn production in Canada. The area features a frost-free period for seed corn production that rivals the Midwest United States, with temperatures and precipitation moderated by the surrounding Great Lakes. “It is one of the only seed corn production areas in the world where you can grow seed corn for maturities ranging from 68 to 115 days. This represents our customer base across the country,” notes Baute.
Maizex is currently contracting with seed corn growers to support processing through both its Tilbury and now Blenheim plants for the 2019 growing season. “This is a tremendous opportunity for not only Maizex but for seed corn producers in this region.”
For more information contact Maizex Seeds at 519-682-1720 or info@maizex.com.
Canadian owned and operated, Maizex Seeds commercializes and markets high performance corn hybrids, soybean varieties and seed-based technologies for farmers across. Maizex continues to grow through farmer trust in our market leading product performance and best in class agronomy and product support.
Sollio Agriculture, formerly known as the Agri-business Division of La Coop fédérée, is a Canadian leader in the agriculture industry. It specializes in the merchandising of farm inputs and value-added agronomic services. It benefits from a synergy between three sectors: livestock production, crop production and grains. Present in almost every part of Canada, it has close to 1,100 employees and made $2.125 billion in sales in 2018 in Canada and abroad. For more information about Sollio Agriculture, visit sollio.ag.