Subsidiary Bayer Monsanto Expands Genetically Modified Seed Production in Chile This Latin American country is a leading seed exporter worldwide.

About 50 km. In September 2018, shortly after the German company acquired Monsanto, Bayer Crop Science announced the modernization of its Viluco plant.

It is the only vegetable seed plant in South America and one of the three largest plants in the world.

“We want to modernize technology and processes so that the plant meets the standards of plants in the Netherlands and the United States,” said Yuri Charm of Bayer Crop Science at the time.

According to Sharm, a project called Fulfillment of Demand will increase seed production by 20% and will allow Chile in the near future to meet 70% of demand for products in the region.

“This project is important for the company and for the country, because it is positioning Chile at the forefront of innovation in the agricultural industry,” he said. According to the International Seed Federation (ISF), Chile is already a leading seed exporter in the southern hemisphere and the fifth largest seed exporter. in the world.

The country exported seeds worth $ 338.5 million in 2016-2017; 1/5 of the production volume has been genetically modified, according to the industry association ChileBio. The advantage for the seed business in Chile is that the seasons there are the opposite of the seasons in Europe.

Most of the population here lives on agriculture. In 2016, even before the merger with Bayer, Monsanto announced the expansion of the plant.