Corteva Agriscience: ESCA Growth Journey Continues

Corteva Agriscience™, the US based pure play agriculture company, has set up its East South Central Africa (ESCA) Commercial Unit headquarters in Nairobi. ESCA is a priority growth market with business presence in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya (which supports Great Lakes), Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The success of Corteva in the region is a result of well positioned research and seed production facilities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Ethiopia. Joseph Anampiu serves as Commercial Unit leader for ESCA, supported by a strong team of Country Leaders.

Briefly discuss Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience is a leading global agriculture company. The company combines over two centuries of scientific achievement and agronomic expertise to African agriculture to provide farmers with the right mix of seeds, crop protection and digital solutions to maximize their yields and improve their profitability.

Corteva is headquartered in the U.S., with headquarters for Africa Middle East regional in Centurion, South Africa. Africa & Middle East has 4 Commercial Units with main offices in South Africa (Centurion), Morocco (Casablanca), Kenya (Nairobi) and Egypt (Cairo) acting as business centres for Southern Africa, North West Central Africa, East Africa and Egypt Middle East respectively.

ESCA, Corteva Agriscience at a glance translates into 260+ Employees, 1 Regional Head Office, Country offices, 4 Production and Manufacturing Facilities and 3 Research and Development (R&D) facilities.

As part of that decision, we located our ESCA headquarters in Nairobi. We have a leadership team for ESCA region here — from where we are building a solid foundation for agriculture in the region. That’s why we are placing a lot of emphasis in this part of the world. We are focusing on building our business in the region through our 2 seed brands (Pannar® and Pioneer™) and strong crop protection portfolio of more than 60 Active Ingredients, including: Isoclast™, Surestart®, Spinetoram; Seed Applied Technology. Our crop protection solutions supporting ornamental and vegetable exports, help farmers protect their crop and yield from fall armyworm and other emerging pests such as false codling moth.

With changing environmental conditions, Corteva R&D team is working to produce products that are well adapted to local conditions. Corteva crop protection chemicals are also well supported by the stewardship team to ensure effective protection of the crops, the people and the environment.

Discuss your state-of-the-art facilities in Kenya?
Corteva has commercial, seed production and research facilities in Nairobi and Eldoret respectively. Currently, Corteva Agriscience has invested significantly in its Kenyan operation in relation to latest seed breeding techniques and expertise, scaled up local seed production and put up a seed processing and conditioning plant, equipped to meet the growing demand for high quality, high yielding seed locally, and adapted to Kenya’s agro-ecological conditions.

The highland and mid altitude maize breeding station in Eldoret, Kenya sits on a 25 Acre piece of land with various satellites breeding nurseries spread between Kitale, Kakamega, Eldoret and Yatta. The station has full time research staff who spearhead the maize breeding program that supports Eastern Southern Central African countries.

The multimillion-dollar modern seed processing, conditioning and packaging plant located at Athi River Business Park, 23Km from Nairobi Central Business District has capacity to process and pack 5-7 tonnes of seed per hour. The factory has created employment for local Kenya engineers and machine operators.

The company has also aggressively scaled up local seed production by signing up local seed growers to scale up our seed production in Kenya.

The future can only be brighter for Corteva in Kenya with ramping up seed production and enhanced seed and crop protection distribution in Kenya.

Other than physical investment, what else are you involved in?
Corteva Agriscience™, collaborates with partners to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. In Kenya the company has invested significant resources towards increasing the livelihood of smallholder farmers through imparting agricultural best practices that guarantee food security, nutrition security and income security. This transformative approach is implemented through partnerships and collaborations with multiple and multi sectoral stakeholders across in private sector, public sector and development agencies.

Discuss some of the partnerships with public sector, development agencies and private companies to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihood in Kenya.
Corteva Agriscience™, in partnership with various stakeholders in the agriculture sector and value chain are working to support smallholder farmers in Kenya to improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The company has several collaborations with various strategic partners that include: AGRA, CGA, FPC, FPEAK, National Potato Council, One Acre Fund, Farm Inputs Promotion Service (FIPs) Digifarm, SNV, Equity Bank Foundation, County Governments (Kakamega, Nakuru, Meru, Murang’a, etc.), Ministry of Agriculture, various fertilizer & nutrition entities, USAID Kenya, National Youth Service, CYMMIT, KALRO and Public Universities just to mention but a few.

In addition to the physical investment and partnerships how else are you supporting the Kenyan Agricultural sector?
Corteva Agriscience™, collaborates across the food value chain, and continues to partner with various stakeholders to advance good agronomic farming practices and technologies to improve smallholders’ livelihoods in rural Kenya. The main objectives include:

Managing Fall Armyworm (FAW):
In Kenya, we promote integrated pest management practices to help combat FAW, an invasive species that can destroy a wide variety of crops. By leveraging global collaborations with partners such we offer training programs, crop protection products and FAW management practices so that smallholder farmers can better protect their crops.

Supporting Global Communities:
With over 100+ workforce, we have a deep breadth and depth of passionate individuals who volunteer their time and expertise. Corteva through a participatory selective process has sent volunteers on assignment through our fellowship program to AMPATH Eldoret, Kenya; Partners in Food Solutions; and USAID’s Farmer-to- Farmer program. Farmers also benefit from the best management practices in maize production to increase productivity per hectare managed by Pannar and Pioneer in collaboration with One Acre Fund.

They also access Farm Inputs:
Setting up distribution centres through AMPATH cooperative model, supported by Pannar seeds.

Improving Maize Seed Production:
We are developing a hybrid maize seed production system for Africa that will deliver a yield advantage over conventionally produced hybrids. This collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa also includes developing heat-tolerant varieties of maize for South Asia.

In addition, we are working to develop hybrids with resistance to Maize Lethal Necrosis in eastern Africa that will preserve the original genetic composition. Corteva are also pioneering the corn Silage Project for Diary: In collaboration with SNV and Equity Foundation. We are also investing in hybrid conversion from OPV maize varieties to hybrids maize in collaboration with our partners. Access to high quality maize through partnerships with County Governments under their input subsidy programs.

Skills Transfer: Training of Ministry of Agriculture extension staff at County level on maize agronomy, pest and disease management.

Research work: Maize Lethal Necrotic Disease (MLND) in collaboration with CIMMYT, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) under USAID Kenya funded MLND research centre.

Soil Nutrition Program: Toyota Tsusho Fertilizer Africa Limited, Crop Nutrition and Yara International

What does this mean to Kenya’s Agricultural Sector? Corteva values Kenya. With the most balanced portfolio of products in the industry, nearly a century of agronomic expertise, and an unparalleled innovation engine, we are creating a new agriculture company that will work together with the entire food ecosystem to produce a secure supply of healthy food sustainably and efficiently.

Other than the regional headquarters, we have also built a state-of-the-art seed production facility which we will be improving to higher standards, we have a research centre, that is part of the Africa Technology hub and we are investing in talent. We also house some of the Africa and Middle East offices.

Describe Corteva Products
Corteva represents the most comprehensive and balanced seed and crop protection portfolio in the world and a strong pipeline of new products that will enable us to continue to provide substantial value to farmers now and over the long term. Corteva is known for its Pioneer and Pannar brands in the seed category. In crop protection we have well established product brands like Surestart, Tracer and Radiant which is a good control for Fall Army Worms. Other than Herbicides and Insecticides, Corteva has also lined up some good fungicides. Our R&D is also lining up some very exciting products which will be launched between now and 2022 and beyond.

Final comments.
There is no one single solution that addresses the whole food security challenge. It is a multi-dimensional challenge that requires collaboration from companies like us, Government, partners and all stakeholders to ensure we feed a growing population. One thing that can make a big impact on this matter is technology. Other than high yielding resilient seed and quality crop protection products, we are also driving customer value through digitization by offering the most advanced digital solutions. When farmers use our products and services and get better harvest, they become part of the solution to food insecurity.

There is also tremendous opportunity of doubling productivity by enabling farmers to access the right products and services. Technology is a great piece of the answer to food security. But for technology to reach the farmer, there is a need for enabling policies that allow companies to develop technology that is tailored for realties of the African farmers and put that technology in their hands.

Corteva Agriscience helps farms and farmers flourish, and together we forge meaningful relationships that advance agricultural industry. We are on the ground, innovating collaboratively with producers to help enable their success. We earn the trust of customers and consumers by doing what is right and delivering solutions that meet their changing needs. Partnering with Corteva will lead to a profitable farmer.