New chairman of Bayer CropScience AG Sandra E Peterson looks at India as a

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strategic market for `seed to harvest' business model. In an interaction with CR Sukumar, she says the company, in collaboration with the Swiss food firm Reitzel group, will help the Indian farmers with sustainable production of high-quality gherkins coupled with improved yields. Excerpts:

How is Bayer CropScience planning to expand business with high-margin products and new crops going forward in 2011?

Bayer CropScience plans to maintain growth strategy with innovative crop protection agents, high-quality seed and enhanced plant traits. To this end, the company plans to strengthen its portfolio in conventional crop protection and increase the proportion of new, high-margin products. In the area of seeds and traits, the regional business will be expanded and long-term growth will be generated with new crops.

What are your plans in India?

Distribution of seeds along with crop protection products is helping Bayer CropScience to emerge as a stronger player in the market.

This concept has proven to be very successful in delivering a comprehensive crop management solution from `seed to harvest' to farmers. This way, the firm has begun to fulfil its commitment to deliver value for its customers and consolidate its strengths in becoming a bigger player in the market, today. Our objective to improve rice production includes research, development and marketing of new in secticides, fungicides, herbicides and seed treatment products, as well as new generations of stresstolerant, high-yielding rice hybrids.

Bayer CropScience and Reitzel group are to expand sustainable production of high quality gherkins in India. Can you give us some details? What will be the role of Bayer CropScience under the purview of this agreement?

Bayer CropScience and Reitzel group, a Switzerland-based food company, plan to expand collaboration on the sustainable production of highquality gherkins to all contract farmers of Reitzel India. Since 2009, both partners have been working together in this food chain partnership project. The aim of the project is to improve the yield and the quality of gherkins by developing and implementing good agricultural practices (GAP), working on the frame of sustainable agriculture and food safety regulations. Reitzel's agri-technicians support farmers with expertise on gherkin cultivation, trade requirements and customer specifications. This partnership helps to ensure a continuous supply of fresh and high-quality gherkins to the Reitzel factories in India and France as well as for the export to various countries.

How are Bayer CropScience and BASF Plant Science planning to collaborate to develop higher-yielding hybrid rice?

Hybrid rice seeds are gaining popularity. BASF and Bayer CropScience believe that the addition of yield-enhancing traits to hybrid rice will play an important role in meeting the need for increased global rice production. Towards this end, Bayer CropScience and BASF Plant Science have announced a longterm collaboration agreement to improve rice productivity through plant biotechnology. The companies aim to develop and commercialise hybrid rice seeds with traits enabling yield advances of 10 per cent or more over conventional hybrid rice seeds.