Cal/West Seeds, one of the four major alfalfa-breeding companies, has been acquired by Dow AgroSciences LLC, which also acquired Dairyland Seeds in 2008. Along with Cal/West and Dairyland, Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Forage Genetics International have bred the bulk of alfalfa seed for U.S. and international distribution.
Based in Woodland, CA, Cal/West also supplies clover and other crops to seed companies and growers in the U.S., Canada and 25 other countries around the world.
“Cal/West fits our business model – they are not only a technology developer in their industry, but also have a strong genetics program which will strengthen our forages business,” says Rolando Meninato of Dow AgroSciences. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dow AgroSciences will acquire substantially all of Cal/West Seeds’ assets, which include Cal/West and Producer’s Choice brands, Cal/West SRL Argentina, the research and development technologies and genetics programs, as well as production facilities. Cal/West has research-and-development as well as production facilities in California, Washington and Wisconsin.
“We believe this opportunity will effectively help achieve many key business objectives,” says Paul Frey, Cal/West CEO, “and customers will benefit from access to more diverse technologies to deliver enhanced productivity of alfalfa and forage products. We are excited and looking forward to building a better and stronger forage business under Dow AgroSciences!”
The Cal/West acquisition will complement the Dairyland Seeds alfalfa platform and research programs, making the new Dow AgroSciences forage business one of the largest in the industry, according to a press release issued by Dow AgroSciences.