“We’re on the right track”

 “How do you sum up the last two years after implementing Bayer SeedGrowth as a new and novel concept in Brazil?”
 

Roberson Lima: “It was very interesting from a business perspective. We were the first company to offer a complete solution for this new, professional seed treatment sector. The feedback from our business partners as well as from growers has, so far, been only positive. We have been recognized throughout the country by all our stakeholders for our unique and integrated approach. While we are on the right track, there are still many things to do. We are in continuous dialogue with customers and seed treatment experts, striving to always improve and innovate.” 
 

“What was one of the biggest highlights for you and your team?”
 

Roberson Lima: “With Bayer SeedGrowth, we offer a complete package in high-technology seed treatment. One of our lighthouse projects in 2014 was the installation of 50 machines in different parts of Brazil. Now we have the capacity to treat 60 percent of all soybean seeds in all of Brazil.Customers are searching not only for peace of mind, but also for someone they can rely on and someone that matches their needs. And that’s what differentiates us from our competitors: In addition to high-quality seed treatment products, coatings, and equipment, we also offer a wide range of services – directly where the customer is. This customer-centricity is our focus in everything we do.” 
 

“Could you give us another example of your customer-centric approach?”
 

Roberson Lima: “Everything we do is based on ensuring farmers have the best experience with our solution by supporting and helping them to be successful. Let’s look once again at equipment as an example. To monitor equipment and help our partners (seed multipliers) with technical issues, we developed a system to support machines we have installed in Brazil. We have to cover long distances in a large country like Brazil, to go from the Bayer headquarters in São Paulo to the northern or southern regions. So we developed a system that provides access to all of our equipment through computers. We also introduced the QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment) process along with every machine we installed at seed multipliers, to make sure that clients follow the requirements and instructions. This ensures safety and guidance for the seed multiplier and reflects, of course, one of our stewardship measurements. And it also benefits farmers, since they can access our technology and have the highest-quality treated seeds at exactly the right time.”
 

“Stewardship is being emphasized even more this year – what are you doing in Brazil to raise awareness for this important topic?”
 

Roberson Lima: “Stewardship has always been at the center of our attention – from the very beginning. One member of our Bayer SeedGrowth team is fully dedicated to this topic, visiting multipliers across Brazil and providing them with training as well as supporting them in all stewardship issues. We conduct an assessment of all of our multipliers and business partners to ensure operator safety at all times. Moreover, we have already trained more than 3,000 people at our Bayer SeedGrowth Center in Brazil. And that’s just the basics. For us, stewardship is not about a special event where we gather people to discuss operator safety or talk on field days. It’s part of our daily life – lived every day. We have shared stewardship from day one.”