Des Moines, Iowa
February 25, 2008
Strong global demand for corn and
record commodity prices are driving up demand for high-yielding
seed. For leading seed companies like
DuPont business
Pioneer Hi-Bred, that means
significantly increasing the number of acres needed to grow
their seed and the number of people they need to hire to produce
the crop.
Pioneer said today that demand for its products is driving a 30
percent increase in the number of acres it needs for seed corn
production in 2008. That is on top of another significant
increase in 2007.
Along with the increase in acres comes a sharp increase in the
number of part-time workers needed in the fields this summer to
detassel the corn -- a key step in the process of producing the
high-value hybrid seed corn that
farmers will plant in the spring of 2009.
"Detasseling gives people -- often young people, while they are
off from school -- near our seed production locations a chance
to earn money over a couple weeks and still have some summer
left to spend it," said Bill
Tomlinson, supply operations director, Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Across North America, Pioneer plans to hire more than 30,000
detasselers this summer in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
Nebraska, Texas, Washington, and Ontario, Canada. The
detasseling season runs from late June or early July through the
early or middle part of August, depending on when a field gets
planted and the weather.
Those looking for part-time work this summer aren't the only
ones benefiting from the increased demand for Pioneer seed. The
increased acres also means additional opportunities for farmers
who grow the seed and others who help harvest and transport the
crop, condition the seed and ship it to Pioneer customers.
"Much of the financial investment Pioneer makes to produce a
corn hybrid is spent where the seed is grown," Tomlinson said.
"Contract seed growers, our work force and their communities
reap the benefits of this investment."
Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen-producing tassel
from a corn plant. Detasselers walk through seed fields and
remove the tops of corn plants that were not removed by
machines. Their work helps ensure genetic
purity is maintained when the hybrid cross is produced
commercially.
For more information or to apply for a detasseling job, visit
the "Careers" section at
www.pioneer.com and select "Summer Jobs."
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading
source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers
and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des
Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to
advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a science-based products and services
company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by
creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer,
healthier life for people everywhere. Operating
in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of
innovative products and services for markets including
agriculture and food; building and construction; communications;
and transportation. |
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