RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., January 10, 2011 – BASF Plant Science announced today a new contracting agreement for NutriDense® Grain between Heartland Co-op and Fieldale Farms. Heartland Co-op, a grain cooperative network with 52 locations and 5,300 members across Iowa, is committed to working with local farmers to enhance their profitability through NutriDense Grain contracting. The NutriDense Grain delivered to Heartland Co-op will then be utilized by Fieldale Farms, an independent, family-owned poultry producer with operations in northeast Georgia.
“Through this NutriDense Grain partnership with Fieldale Farms, our growers will have a premium contracting opportunity,” said Kent Jessen, Heartland Co-op director of merchandising. “We are constantly seeking innovative solutions to meet our customers’ needs, and are very interested in the optimal nutrition and enhanced animal feed performance NutriDense Grain offers.”
Corn growers in the Des Moines, Iowa area will have a strong local market for NutriDense Grain. Through Heartland Co-op’s convenient buyer’s call contracting, corn growers who plant NutriDense Grain during the 2011 season will receive acreage contracts with a premium of 25 cents per bushel. Delivery of NutriDense will be available to the Des Moines area Heartland Co-op elevators during the spring/summer of 2012.
“We are excited to help facilitate this arrangement between Heartland Co-op and Fieldale Farms, two strong brands within the poultry industry,” said Scott Friedlund, NutriDense Grain product manager. “This program will provide the opportunity for corn growers in the Heartland Co-op to enjoy the financial benefits of NutriDense Grain while the growers of Fieldale Farms experience the nutritional advantage.”
NutriDense Grain hybrids are available in Iowa through NutriDense licensed seed companies Kruger Seeds, Croplan Genetics and FS Seed. NutriDense Grain hybrids offer competitive yield and agronomics and are available with many popular input traits. Limited contracts are available, so corn growers should contact a NutriDense seed partner or Ryan Mallo at Heartland Co-op at (515) 974-5205 or rmallo@heartlandcoop.com to learn more about this offer.
NutriDense Grain is a nutritionally enhanced corn available in competitive yielding hybrids that provides a lower cost per pound of gain for poultry producers. This provides the animal producer with efficient production and allows the grain grower to share in a portion of that value through a grain premium.
To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com, follow on Twitter @NutriDense or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutriDense.
About Heartland Co-op
Heartland Co-op, a grain cooperative based in Des Moines, Iowa, serves more than 5,300 members at 52 locations across Iowa. For more information, please call (515) 225-1334 or visit www.heartlandcoop.com.
About Fieldale Farms
Fieldale Farms is an independent, family-owned poultry processor with operations located in northeast Georgia. Founded over 50 years ago, Fieldale Farms offers a full array of products to its customers including all-natural whole birds, cut-up chicken parts and skinless, boneless chicken parts. Additionally, Fieldale Farms provides product packaging, fully cooked products and other specialty items to more than 50 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.fieldale.com.
About BASF Plant Science
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.
About BASF
BASF – The Chemical Company.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P.
