CULIACÁN, MEXICO - A monumental purchase has been made by Sakata Seed America in recent weeks. The seed breeder revealed its acquisition of 14 hectares (35.6 acres) of land in Culiacán, Mexico, as it continues its impressive infrastructure expansion in the region.
“The Culiacán Innovation Center is the logical next step in Sakata’s strategic expansion in Mexico,” states Dave Armstrong, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Sakata Mexico has been conducting business for over 34 years and, as we adapt and increase our breeding efforts to support expanding crop production in Mexico, we are proud to invest in the Mexican economy and solidify our leading role in genetic innovation with established infrastructure in Mexico and Central America. The new facility will act as a central R&D hub for Sakata in Mexico and Central America and allow for further exciting collaboration with Sakata Seed America’s four other R&D stations spanning North America.”
The land and facilities have been leased by Sakata Seed for the past three years, a press release explained. Significant growth in the region led to the decision to secure a permanent location in Culiacán, which is home to many global seed breeding companies.
This acquisition and newly expanded infrastructure will further enable Sakata to operate breeding, sales, marketing, and production efforts in Mexico. The site will officially be named the Culiacán Innovation Center, mirroring the Woodland Innovation Center in Woodland, California. Within Mexico, the facility will be known as CIEN, or Centro de Innovación y Excelencia Nacional (National Center of Innovation and Excellence).
“In order to continue to grow our leadership and market share in Mexico, we need the proper environment to accommodate our growth. The Culiacán Innovation Center will supply the necessary space and resources for Sakata to breed, innovate, and support the Mexico market,” says Mauricio Pineda, General Manager of Sakata Seed de Mexico.
As Sakata continues to build out its footprint in Mexico, we here at ANUK will keep an eye out for the latest news.
