Monsanto Launches Corn Breeding Facility
30 June 2011 OTHELLO, Wash., United States — Monsanto opened its newest corn breeding facility today in Othello, Wash., according to the company.
The new 15,000 square-foot facility, which employs five full-time and approximately 100 part-time and seasonal workers, is the first of its kind for Monsanto in the United States, according to the company.
“Monsanto researchers strive to bring farmers the best possible product for their fields and help improve on-farm productivity,” said Sam Eathington, Monsanto vice president of global plant breeding in a prepared statement. “The Othello corn breeding station is an integral part of the mission, complementing Monsanto’s global breeding program and joining a network of more than 50 corn breeding stations located around the world.”
The breeding station will be devoted exclusively to using double haploid advanced breeding technology to help Monsanto’s breeders provide better corn seeds for farmers. Within the next 10 years, about 50 percent of new corn lines in North America will have gone through Othello, according to the company.
Monsanto also has a corn manufacturing site in Othello. In addition to the two Othello sites, Monsanto also has three other sites in the state of Washington – Warden, Mount Vernon and LaConner – focused on vegetable seed manufacturing.
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