DuPont expands corn business in China

DuPont announced a plan to double its China investment by 2010. The new partnership, Dunhuang Seed Pioneer Hi-Bred Company, will be 49% owned by the U.S. firm’s subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International and 51% by China’s Dunhuang Seed Co. It aims to bring some strong new hybrid corn products to the Chinese market. A series of projects, including this second seed joint venture, is under construction or negotiation to help achieve this goal. Pioneer first established a business representative office in Beijing in 1997. In late 2002, Pioneer established a summer corn joint venture in China–Shandong Denghai Pioneer Seeds Co. The first commercial sale was in 2004. The business has achieved solid growth since then, said the firm. (December 14, 2006)