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New seed facility of Cargill will produce hybrid canola of the future

Cargill recently announced that it has completed its new seed innovation center of specialty canola hybrid development in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

The company invested $10 million on the facility which will select the next generation of VICTORY™ seed varieties. VICTORY™ have been market leaders in Canada over the last decade and are grown and harvested in Canada and the U.S. before being crushed and refined to become Clear Valley® high oleic canola oils. High oleic canola oil is consumer-friendly as it has no trans fats and is low in saturated fat. Food manufacturers and food service operators use it for its clean flavor and stability.

Highlights of the new building include:

9,400 square feet of laboratory space
A 15,800-square foot dedicated seed wing
A 4,000-square-foot basement for seed storage
16,500 square feet of office space featuring meeting and conference rooms, and a training facility
Highly efficient LED light fixtures
Skylights for natural day lighting
Refillable water stations to reduce disposable water bottles
A recycling center in the break room
Reclaimed beetle kill pine that adds a unique Ft. Collins look and feel
Plumbing fixtures that use 20 percent less water than standard fixtures
Employee bike storage to encourage biking to work to reduce emissions from vehicles.

The Ft. Collins facility is a key piece in the balance between agronomics and oil innovation. Cargill focuses on developing seeds that will grow disease-resistant and high-yielding crops in a variety of regions, and improve the oil profile of high oleic canola.

Cargill is the only high oleic canola oil company that is a seed company and the only high oleic seed company that is an oil company. Beginning this year, the company will map all aspects of its North American high oleic canola supply chain through its Knowing Your Roots: from farm to table™ program. Cargill's long-term investment in the facility will continue to provide innovation with the next generation of high oleic canola oil with omega-3s and lower saturated fats.

Jenny Verner, president, Cargill Specialty Seeds & Oils said "Seed development is a forward-looking process because the seed genetics we select today will produce crops that will be harvested about 10 years from now."