US agritech giant Corteva Agriscience is developing hybrid wheat varieties tailored specifically to Indian growing conditions, with commercial seeds expected to reach the market in 10тАУ15 years, a senior company executive said, reported PTI.
The technology is aimed at raising per-acre wheat productivity and freeing up agricultural land for other priority crops such as corn for ethanol and mustard for edible oil and sustainable aviation fuel, Brook Cunningham, President of CortevaтАЩs Asia Pacific operations, told PTI in an interview.
тАЬWe announced a new sterility system for hybrid wheat at our investor day last year and have begun investing in India-specific germplasm,тАЭ Cunningham said during her visit, calling India a тАЬtop priorityтАЭ for the initiative. She noted that hybrid wheat typically requires a 25-year global development timeline but said Corteva has already prioritised work on localised germplasm suited to Indian conditions.
Cunningham, who took on her current role in June and serves on the companyтАЩs global executive leadership team, said India is at an тАЬinflection point to feed and fuel the world,тАЭ citing the countryтАЩs self-sufficiency in rice and wheat and its export potential in fruits, vegetables, corn, and sustainable aviation fuels.
With the global population set to grow by another two billion in the next 25 years, alongside mounting challenges from climate change and pest resistance, she stressed that тАЬtechnology is the only way India achieves food security and export ambitions amid climate impacts.тАЭ CortevaтАЩs seeds, crop-protection products, and biologicals, she added, give farmers the tools to maximise output from every hectare.
The company has recorded a 12% compound annual growth rate in India while keeping its focus on accessibility for the countryтАЩs 150 million smallholder farmers, most of whom operate on less than two hectares. Cunningham described the model as a тАЬwin-win,тАЭ explaining that value generated from R&D is shared among farmers, the value chain, and the company. Yield gains and other benefits are distributed in a way that ensures both grower viability and CortevaтАЩs ability to invest, she said.
According to Cunningham, CortevaтАЩs technologies typically boost yields for smallholders by 15тАУ20% on farms averaging around 0.3 hectares, with some innovations increasing incomes by 20тАУ30%. She emphasised the need for efficient delivery and collaborative partnerships that balance shareholder growth, farmer needs, and government goals.
A former investment banker, Cunningham joined Corteva in late 2022 after 15 years in finance, attracted by agricultureтАЩs potential for impactтАФparticularly in smallholder-dominated markets.
Corteva, active in India since 1972, operates two major research hubs in Telangana and invests about USD 1.4 billion annually in global R&D, roughly 8% of its revenue. Cunningham declined to disclose specific investment figures for India or the hybrid wheat programme.
Beyond wheat, the company sees strong growth prospects in corn, with acreage expected to expand by 15% over the next two years on the back of rising ethanol and protein demand. She said new rainy-season corn hybrids will be introduced soon.
Corteva also launched Clearfield mustard hybrids in India this year and plans to scale them over the coming years. In riceтАФwhere hybrid adoption in India remains in single digitsтАФCunningham sees significant scope for yield improvement, with Corteva preparing to bring its top global technologies to the market.
The companyтАЩs offerings include crop-protection products spanning traditional chemistry and biologicals to address resistance challenges. It is also leveraging artificial intelligence to speed up the development of new technologies.
Corteva remains on track to achieve 5% global net sales growth in 2025.
