Louis Dreyfus Company field day unveils camelina crop, planted for the first time in Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay, October 15, 2024 – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) held today a field day that brought together more than 80 farmers and technical agricultural advisors from various regions of the country to learn about the latest trends in sustainable agriculture, including growing global demand for sustainably produced agri-foods, and the opportunity this represents for the country’s growers.
Held beside a field planted with camelina, the event focused on this sustainable crop, planted for the first time in Uruguay as part of a program launched this year by LDC with Camelina Company. “We were excited to welcome our business partners to a field trip on a plot planted with the two varieties of camelina that we have introduced and distributed in the country,” said Luis Morales, Commercial Lead in Uruguay for Macro Seed, LDC’s seed brand. “Today’s event showcased the crop’s excellent performance and easy handling for producers.”
Camelina is an oilseed whose short production cycle allows it to be incorporated into existing crop rotations as a profitable cover crop that helps to preserve soil health prior to planting summer crops such as corn or soy. “By adopting camelina, Uruguayan farmers have demonstrated their openness to innovation and their commitment to sustainable production,” said Mario Sampaolesi, LDC’s Head of Grains & Oilseeds Origination for Uruguay. “In this first year of our camelina program, 4,200 hectares were planted in the country and we aim to reach 15,000 hectares in 2025.”
A panel discussion organized at the event delved into the camelina program performance, as Uruguay’s first experience with camelina cultivation, followed by a live interview with Victoria Capalbo, LDC’s Regional Grains & Oilseeds Sustainability Manager for South & West Latin America, who outlined the latest demand trends for sustainable products and their potential benefits for the country’s agricultural sector: “Sustainable farming practices (such as direct sowing and the crop rotation plan promoted several years ago by national authorities) represent a great opportunity for Uruguay to position itself as a producer and exporter of environmentally responsible agricultural goods for customers and consumers around the world,” she said. “At LDC, we are pleased to support Uruguayan farmers in this trajectory, including by facilitating adoption of ultra-low carbon crops such as camelina.”
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About Louis Dreyfus Company
Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods, founded in 1851. We leverage our global reach and extensive asset network to serve our customers and consumers around the world, delivering the right products to the right location, at the right time – safely, reliably and responsibly. Our activities span the entire value chain, from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines (platforms): Carbon Solutions, Coffee, Cotton, Food & Feed Solutions, Freight, Global Markets, Grains & Oilseeds, Juice, Rice and Sugar. We help feed and clothe some 500 million people every year by originating, processing and transporting approximately 80 million tons of products. Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries across six geographical regions, and employs approximately 18,000 people globally.
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