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Western Plant Breeders, Inc., (Bozeman) and Goertzen Seed Research, Inc. (Kansas) form new company

Bozeman-based Western Plant Breeders, Inc. http://www.westbred.com and Haven, Kansas-based Goertzen Seed Research, Inc. have formed WestBred, LLC, a joint venture aimed at developing and distributing enhanced small grains varieties.

Cargill.com

(Many thanks to Kent Norby for passing this along.- Russ)

WestBred’s seed varieties portfolio will encompass durum wheat in the southwest United States, feed barley and wheat in the Northwest, hard red and hard white winter wheat in the Central Plains, and soft red winter wheat in the eastern United States. Western Plant Breeders is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barkley Seed, Inc.; Goertzen is owned by Cargill, Incorporated.

Headquartered in Bozeman, WestBred will have research bases in West Lafayette, Ind., Haven, Kan. and Yuma, Ariz. Executives from both companies indicated that WestBred will combine the particular strengths of each organization to create agronomic, processing and quality traits for a range of wheat varieties desired by producers, food manufacturers and consumers.

“This strategic alliance will allow us to develop premium small grains for many customers on a more comprehensive basis,” said Robert Barkley, Western Plant Breeders chairman and chief executive officer. Western Plant Breeders holds a majority ownership in WestBred.

“We are pleased that Goertzen’s research expertise will be combined with the quality staff of plant breeders employed by Western Plant Breeders,” said Dave Venberg, western region general manager of Horizon Milling, LLC, a flour milling joint venture between Cargill and Cenex Harvest States. “Western Plant Breeder’s unrivaled breeding capabilities in durum, hard and soft wheat, together with its successful distribution and marketing programs, will complement Goertzen’s expertise in breeding winter wheat with desired milling quality traits. Bringing together all of these wheat breeding competencies under one roof will lead to research and development advances which the entire food and feed supply chain can utilize,” Venberg added.

WestBred President and General Manager Ron Ueland explained that the joint venture will continue the practice of Western Plant Breeders and Goertzen in licensing premium, small-grain varieties to key seed companies for production as certified seed.

“This partnership enables us to increase our collaboration with grain industry customers in providing the improved genetics they need to compete, while fostering development of enhanced plant traits that are valued by key players in the supply chain, from the producer to the end consumer,” said Ueland.

About Western Plant Breeders:
Founded in 1976, Bozeman-based Western Plant Breeders (www.westbred.com) is a premier research and development company with particular expertise in breeding small grains including spring and winter wheat, barley, and durum.

Western Plant Breeders

8111 Timberline Dr.

Bozeman, Montana 59718

(406) 587-1218 Phone

(406) 586-8247 Fax

[email protected]

About Cargill and Goertzen Seed Research, Inc.:
Haven, Kansas-based Goertzen Seed Research, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill, Incorporated (www.cargill.com), an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services with 98,000 employees in 61 countries. Cargill provides distinctive customer solutions in supply chain management, food applications, and health and nutrition.

http://www.cargill.com/today/releases/2003/03_08_08westbred.htm

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