Monsanto India is planning to open its third breeding station in North India. The company currently has a seed research station in Abohar (Punjab). Breeding station in north India is expected to take up work on wheat, corn and vegetables.
“The company has narrowed down the location between Punjab and Haryana and a final call will be taken shortly. If we plan to expand Abohar facility, it will be located in Punjab or we may create a new centre in Haryana,” said Mr Amitabh Jaipuria, Managing Director, Monsanto India.
“The final decision on the location will be taken shortly. We plan to invest close to Rs 25 crore to set up breeding station. The final cost of the project depends on the land value,” he added.
Monsanto India on Monday opened its second centre in Chikkaballapur near Bangalore.
The Chikkaballapur facility is spread across 117 acres (including owned 17 acres and leased land of around 100 acres). The breeding station has been established with an investment of Rs 25 crore from Monsanto.
“Initially the Chikkaballapur facility will focus on developing high-yielding hybrid seeds for corn, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and watermelon cultivation mainly for farmers in southern India,” Mr Jaipuria said.
The company's breeding centre in Aurangabad, Maharashtra is currently handling hybrid corn and hybrid cotton.
Mr D Narain, Regional Head, Monsanto India said, “Bangalore is ideal in terms of logistics and climatic conditions for research into various hybrid varieties. This non-biotech plant breeding station is yet another indication of Monsanto's commitment to helping our farmers through the use of technical innovation to grow more with less land, water and other resources to meet the needs of a growing population, and to make India globally competitive in agriculture.”
According to Dr. Robert de la Pena, Asia Vegetable Research and Development Lead, Monsanto Singapore, “This breeding station has been equipped with all aspects of R&D infrastructure in the same location - labs, open fields for trials, greenhouses, etc.”
“The integration of these facilities both in the laboratory and in the field will enable an environment of seamless research that will make discovery faster and reduce the lead time for launch of new and better seeds into the market,” he added.