Patos de Minas, Brazil

The Corn Queen

KWS entered the Brazilian seed business ten years ago. Our largest station there is in Patos de Minas.

Around ten million euros were invested in the station in Patos de Minas. Capacities doubled as a result.

In the southeast of Brazil, in the Alto Paranaíba region in the state of Minas Gerais, lies “The Princess of the Alto Paranaíba.” That is the name the locals of Patos de Minas have given to their city. However, “The Corn Queen” would also fit just as well instead of “Princess” – because Patos de Minas is considered the national capital of corn.

Investors from all over the country have settled in the region, establishing a thriving agricultural sector alongside the clothing, beverage and packaging industries. Agriculture is one of the city’s main sources of income; in addition to corn cultivation, dairy, beef and pork products are also processed. Moreover, there is a growing focus on biotechnology in cities such as Patos de Minas, where leading research in soybean and corn crops is conducted.

Important center for seed production

The logical consequence: Patos de Minas is also one of the most important centers for seed production in the country. Our processing plant has been located there since 2012, after we acquired the company Riber ten years ago and entered the Brazilian market.

In 2019, KWS invested around ten million euros to more than double production capacities in Patos de Minas from 900,000 to two million units of corn, soybean and sorghum seed per annum. The new plant has state-of-the-art facilities for horizontal seed processing. They significantly reduce the risk of seed being mechanically damaged during the grading process.

The plant currently employs 230 permanent staff, plus around 800 seasonal workers, over a ten-hectare farm and three hectares of forest. The team produces winter corn over 14,000 hectares and summer corn on more than 7,000 hectares. In addition, there are multiplication areas of 25,500 hectares for soybeans and 800 hectares for sorghum. |