About 275 growers from all over the nation have been learning about new “Fields of Opportunity” from BASF Crop Protection this week while getting a break from winter weather on Ft. Lauderdale beach.
“We’ve got growers as far away as the Pacific northwest,” says BASF Vice President for Crop Protection Paul Rea. “The universal theme from all those growers is they want to increase their yields and do it more efficiently.”
Paul says it is important for BASF to communicate with growers and find out their needs, which is why they have a grower advisory panel. “It’s a program we’ve had now for about four years,” he said. “We actually invite about 25 growers from across the country to tell us what’s on top of their minds, what are they seeing as their production challenges as they move forward.” Paul says it’s very beneficial for BASF to help them shape strategy to serve the needs of farmers.
BASF invests about $2 million a day in research and development for farmers, and Paul says BASF has also heavily invested in people to connect with those farmers. “You can have the best technology in the world, but if you don’t have great people committed to helping the farmer, you’re not going to succeed,” said Paul. That’s why BASF has expanded its field force team to include great folks they call “innovation specialists” to work closely with growers on their farms.
listen to my interview with Paul from the BASF grower innovation symposium: Interview with Paul Rea, BASF