DuPont Pioneer receives $1 million grant to advance economically important crops in Alberta, Canada

DuPont Pioneer received a combined total grant of $1 million from two Alberta innovation support organizations for the development of shorter season corn hybrids and expansion of corn cultivation in Alberta. Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions (AI-Bio) and the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund Ltd. (ACIDF) will each invest $500,000 over a five-year period. AI-Bio and ACIDF Ltd. strive to fund investments that will deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to farmers across Alberta.

"We are pleased to receive this grant today, as it signifies the value of early maturity corn hybrids for Western Canada," said Greg Stokke, DuPont Pioneer Western Canada Business director. This investment, along with the many Pioneer investments in research and development for Canada, will help serve growers' evolving needs. Corn and soybeans are valuable rotational crops that could become widely established in western Canada over the next decade, further increasing grower productivity and profitability.".

"Supporting research that can adapt new crops to Alberta's growing conditions is one of our priorities," says Dr Stan Blade, CEO of Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions. "Dupont Pioneer's new corn hybrid research program will offer producers another profitable crop choice in areas where the growing season is short and the climate is cool. Grain corn can be a valuable addition to Alberta's livestock feed options."

"It is important that we continue to invest in the future of agriculture and we are pleased to be of assistance to a project that will open new doors for our growers in Alberta," said Doug Walkey, Executive Director for ACIDF Ltd.