Canada
February 2, 2010

Forty of Canada’s top growers gathered in London, Ontario last week for the inaugural session of Syngenta Grower University II – a follow-up program to the highly-popular Syngenta Grower University.

Syngenta Canada has worked in tandem with the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario to create a four-day advanced business management course tailored specifically to the needs of today’s farmers. The program is designed to help the owners of some of Canada’s largest multi-million dollar farming operations to develop the necessary business management skills and strategies to compete successfully in today’s global agricultural markets.

Syngenta Grower University II was made available to alumni of Syngenta Grower U, and sold out within the first day. The curriculum includes advanced business management techniques, such as strategic planning, leadership, capital investments and financial projections, taught within a combination of lectures, case studies, workshops and breakout sessions. A further invaluable contribution is the opportunity for networking and sharing ideas and experiences with other passionate leaders of Canada’s farming community.

“We need to move away from the image of the farmer in a straw hat holding a pitchfork,” says Jay Bradshaw, President of Syngenta Canada and the instigator of Syngenta Grower U and Grower U II. “Many of today’s farmers are running highly sophisticated business operations and as such, they need in-depth business training that goes way beyond basic best-farming practices. Syngenta created Grower U II to help top producers drill deeper into the key business skill sets and strategies that will help grow their farms into sustainable, profitable and competitive farming operations.”

“The expansion of the Grower University program is a testament to the importance and relevance of business theory to the long-term viability and sustainability of the farm,” says Don Barclay, Eminent Teaching Professor Emeritus at The Richard Ivey School of Business and co-creator of the Grower University Program. “With the globalization of farming, unprecedented market volatility, financial instability and an impending world food shortage, it’s never been more important to apply strategic planning and risk management techniques to farming operations in order to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities available to today’s visionary and business-oriented farmers. It’s gratifying that so many farmers recognize this need, which is why the Syngenta Grower U and Grower U II programs prove so popular.”

Grower University II took place January 25-28, 2010 at The Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario and forms part of Ivey’s Executive Development series of programs.

This year’s Grower U II participants include:

Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 24,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life. For more information about us please go to www.syngenta.com.  

Website: http://www.syngenta.ca

Published: February 2, 2010