Seed Today - Q2 2008 - (Page 12)

Hungary Seed Production Mezömag Ltd. If Mezömag Ltd. is anything, it is a survivor. Located near the eastern shore of Lake Balaton, the largest Lake in Central Europe, Mezömag was established as Fejér county collective farm in the Communist era. Mezömag continued to operate as a state-owned business for a few years after “the change” that marked the end of Communist rule in 1989. In 1992, the government privatized businesses including Mezömag. Some of the farmland in the region was returned to private ownership if claimants could show ancestral ownership. Tracts of Hungarian farmland are still state owned. While most former state-owned farms soon collapsed, Mezömag was able to adapt to the new market environment in part because of business train- Lepsény, Hungary sales are through nine Mezömag representatives contacting farmers. Farmers are also able to purchase direct. The 80,000 units of seed corn (70,000 kernels per unit) sold by Mezömag are produced by seed Pioneer, Monsanto and Syngenta. Small grain seed is produced by Mezömag. To maintain the quality of oil mustard and oil radish seed—Mezömag’s most difficult conditioning challenge—the company uses a Sortex optical scanner. One of the company’s biggest business challenges is how much credit to extend to customers. Farmers usually demand credit, but many are unable to repay. “We have to balance sales and credit,” says Kulcsár says. “Managing credit is part of our new economy.” ing in the United States paid for by U.S. organizations and provided by Pioneer in cooperation with Murray State University, Murray, KY. “After 1992, we recognized the importance of serving farmers. This was a new idea for many companies - they did not have the vision to serve farmers,” says Commercial Director Commercial Director Ildikó Kulcsár. “Prior to 1992 we could not show too much farmer support. But after 1992 we could reach out to give farmers knowledge and help,” Kulcsár says. Seed Production Mezömag Ltd. markets hybrid seed corn, small grain, rapeseed, sunflower, oil mustard and oil radish seed. Some Above Right: Mezömag Ltd. Commercial Director Ildikó Kulcsár examines Mezömag seed coated with the company’s proprietary blue seed color. Above: A Mezömag employee displays the Sortex color sorter used for oil mustard and oil radish and other seeds. Right: Communist-era warehouse stands near the shadow of a modern warehouse. 12 Second Quarter 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Seed Today - Q2 2008

Seed Today - Q2 2008 Contents Editor’s Notes Cover Feature IKR BÁBOLNAMAG AOSA/SCST Gary Biel Bill Latham According to ASTA AOSCA Origin AgriTech Ltd. Pipeline Auditec Power Seeds, Inc RSI Systems LLC Mill & Elevator Supply Co. Agronomix Software, Inc Green Age® Products and Services USDA Crop Projections Buyers’ Guide Ad Index

Seed Today - Q2 2008

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