As agriculture continues to grow into more and more of a global industry, exporting expertise can prove just as beneficial as exporting products. By delivering knowledge and best-practices, a supplier is able to build valuable relationships that can lead to a lasting business partnership.

 

Land O’Lakes has proven its expertise in agronomy through the company’s incredibly successful Answer Plot® program, and has begun delivering that expertise to growers south of the border in Mexico.

 

In late August, Winfield Solutions hosted a large Answer Plot® Knowledge Event in Cuauhtémoc, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. More than 350 people attended the event, several of which were representatives of co-ops and dealers who drove up to 10 or 11 hours to be there. Others flew in from Central, Northwest and Northeast Mexico to be able to attend the event. Among the attendees were representatives from Chihuahua state media and local and regional officials from the agriculture sector.

 
 

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“The event went really well, the growers were very interested in what we were telling them and asked a lot of questions,” said Lee Wilkinson, director of Corn Product Development for Winfield Solutions. “They are really looking for agronomic assistance and want to see what we are doing in the United States.”

 

Planning for the event began last April when a dedicated team chose a location for the plot and began working the soil in preparation for planting. The team planted 375 new hybrids that had never been planted in Mexico, with the goal of displaying improved corn yields.

 

“Our goal is to help the Mexican famer grow more corn through customized agronomic practices,” said Wilkinson. “We were looking to help them increase their productivity.”

 

The Answer Plot® in Cuauhtémoc was the second Knowledge Event held over the summer in Mexico. The previous event took place in July in Torreon, in the state of Coahuila, and strictly displayed silage. The event was attended by 60-70 dairy farmers, as well as media and bank representatives.

 

“Torreon is one of the largest dairy regions in Mexico. Many of the growers attending this Answer Plot® event represented dairies with 3,000 to 12,000 cows,” said Wilkinson. “The growers were looking for help to increase their productivity, as well as improve quality to increase milk production.” 

 

Wilkinson added that Torreon has two growing seasons for silage corn. The first planting is in April and harvested in late June or early July. The second crop is planted directly after and is harvested in late October. The two plantings are a bit different and face individual challenges. Because of this, Winfield Solutions is planning to host two separate Answer Plot® events in Torreon in 2012, one for each planting.

 

While hosting these events in Mexico provides valuable information to Mexican growers, the plots also present an excellent opportunity for Winfield Solutions to evaluate products and build business opportunities.

 

“In Cuauhtémoc we were able to test germplasm through the research portion of the Answer Plot®, which will help expand our business in the region,” said Wilkinson. “Additionally, one of the groups in attendance was from a co-op we’ve begun working with, so it provided a good opportunity for them to see our capabilities.”

 

According to Robert Gonzalez, Mexico Sales Manager for Winfield Solutions, Winfield Solutions Answer Plots® offer what no one has ever witnessed in Mexico.

 

“Winfield’s method of doing business by educating our distributors and producers on how they can be more efficient and increase their profitability is truly incomparable,” he said. “Seeing is believing, and word of mouth travels fast. It’s not only the talk of the town but of the state and even certain areas of the country. We already are being questioned on when the next event will be held.”

 

Due to the overwhelming success of the Answer Plot® Knowledge Events and the growing demand, Winfield Solutions will feature plots again in Torreon and Cuauhtémoc in the coming year, as well as additional plots near the cities of Sinaloa, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.

 

“The producers are ‘hungry’ for knowledge, and the Answer Plot® helps show and explain how our products work to help satisfy that hunger,” said Gonzalez. “Our plan is to incorporate other crops such as alfalfa and sorghum into the Answer Plot® to further enhance the Knowledge Events.”