New European Oilseed Processing Center in Monheim, Germany
September 29, 2015Bayer CropScience inaugurated its new European Oilseed Processing Center in Monheim at a ceremony attended by industry representatives, authorities, agricultural stakeholders and customers.
Bayer says that with this facility, the company has substantially expanded its platform to offer oilseed rape growers a fully integrated system from field production to delivery.
“We see future growth driven by increasing and sustained demand from customers in many countries for improved oilseed rape hybrid varieties,” said Marc Reichardt, Bayer CropScience’s Head of Agricultural Commercial Operations, at the inauguration ceremony.“This investment is good news not only for growers and industrial customers but also for our Monheim site and the company’s global seeds infrastructure.”
Bayer CropScience has invested EUR 15 million in this seed processing center in Monheim, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, underlining Bayer’s ambition to become a major player in the European oilseed rape market.
“Oilseed rape is an attractive cash crop for European growers. And we are a leading expert when it comes to strong and healthy oilseed plants which lead to superior yields and high nutritional value,” added Frank Terhorst, Global Head of Bayer CropScience’s Seeds Business Unit. “The new Oilseed Processing Center will be the central logistical point to deliver high-quality hybrid seeds to customers across the European and African region.”
Bayer CropScience offers oilseed rape growers an integrated line of products including seed treatment products for effective protection against seed-borne diseases and soil pests, innovative fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. These offerings are rounded off with a wide range of services and consultancy such as advice on general agronomic seeding and crop management information as well as the selection of the most suitable hybrid seeds for a specific region.
Bayer CropScience remarks that it has commercialized more than 30 hybrids in 30 countries across the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa). The company’s first winter oilseed rape varieties have been available in Europe since 2012. Bayer CropScience plans to further expand its global oilseed rape seed business by continuing to make investments into research and development and the breeding infrastructure as well as acquisitions, cooperations and trait license agreements.
Seed quality is key
The new Oilseed Processing Center will be responsible for receiving raw seeds from carefully chosen seed multipliers across Europe, fine cleaning and certifying the seed, and calibrating and treating it using state-of-the-art seed machinery.
“Quality management is an important element of our activity within the new facility,” Ferdinand Schnitker, Operations Manager of Bayer’s European Oilseed Processing Center pointed out.
The excellence of the hybrid seed production process makes all the difference: top quality germplasm, a first-in-class breeding program, outstanding seed multipliers and the highest purity standards from start to finish. Bayer plans to deliver the first fine-cleaned and packaged oilseeds from this facility in January 2016.
The new three-story building has a surface area of approximately 9,000 square meters and was constructed on a total area of one hectare. It also includes labs, office and meeting rooms, equipment and installations for storage of raw material and finished goods as well as internal roads including a parking area for trucks and cars.
Bayer’s Monheim site has been specially chosen to be strategically central for key customers while also benefitting from the pro-industrial business environment in Germany. Being part of the Bayer landscape enables the Oilseed Processing Center to synergize with other business activities such as the Bayer SeedGrowth Center.
