While the “Salon International de l’Agriculture 2015” has just closed its doors in Paris, Monsanto, a global provider of leading technology solutions and products that improves farm productivity, reaffirms its commitment to the European market of seeds. Monsanto’s strategy includes investments of €500 million over ten years to develop the company’s production capacity in Europe and thus meet the growing demand not only in the European region, but also at a global level.
Tiago Costa, Director of the seed business in France said: “France and wider Europe are key markets for our company. France is our first market in Europe and is therefore unavoidable. The long French tradition of farming, combined with local expertise, Monsanto has made France a leading producer for the European market. The seeds produced each year with the 2300 partner farmers are exported to 30 markets, contributing directly to the French trade balance. We intend to continue to grow our business and offer solutions that meet the needs of farmers, in France and in Europe “
France is still one of the leading agricultural markets in the world, and is therefore perceived as a strategic priority for Monsanto, which consequently saw its workforce grow by 11% in 2014. Today, 600 employees are spread over 11 industrial and research sites, which constitute Monsanto’s network. Furthermore, Monsanto recruited staff with very different backgrounds and profiles on all the territories in which the company operates, with workers specialized in varied fields from the agronomy sector to laboratory and industrial management or even in logistics and supply chain.
In addition, investments were made in two French factories in Trebes and in Peyrehorade, which were both given €75 and €62 million respectively. These investments aim to strengthen the capacity of Monsanto on seed crops, maize and rapeseed.