14 November 2017 was a big day for DEKALB in South Africa, the brand’s new “kernel” logo and the DEKALB SA website were launched.

The brand is, and always was synonymous with good quality seed coupled with excellent support and service to farmers. DEKALB has a rich history, stretching way back to 1912. Farmers in the country DeKalb, in the state of Illinois, formed a cooperative dedicated to finding ways to improve yield results for all farmers whose livelihood depended on the land and to making farming better.

The brand went from strength-to-strength and in 1998, DEKALB was the first company to launch Roundup Ready® maize. Monsanto acquired DEKALB that same year, bringing new science and technology vigour to the brand whilst expanding the DEKALB brand’s footprint with innovation and high performance for farmers around the world.

The function aptly took a trip down memory lane with key customers, agricultural media, key distributors, industry partners as well as Monsanto personnel joining in, in a morning of “boeresport”. The fun and laughter made way for the more serious stuff with the unveiling of the new DEKALB logo and the launch of the DEKALB SA website.

Pieter Smit Marketing Manager Monsanto SA, told the audience that the day was about a marriage between the old and the new. He added,” we are very excited about the branding changes and the possibilities it brings in communicating our commitment to the South African maize farmer. Our commitment will always be to provide the best technology and products in order to unlock the full potential of maize farmers in South Africa.” He continued by saying, “We also see great value in the website as a source of relevant information and an extension of our current communication network and platforms.”

Monsanto’s Technical Division then used the opportunity to launch their new Agronomic Spotlight publication. Leonard Oberholzer, head of this division, told the audience that publishing this book was a dream come true for the TD staff.

Kobus Steenekamp, Managing Director, Monsanto SA, underlined the fact that the DEKALB brand stands on three pillars namely: Innovation, Customer connection and Performance. He stressed that even though the landscape may change, those pillars will always stand strong in the DEKALB brand.

He added: “Through our DEKALB brand, Monsanto SA’s mission remains the delivering of products and solutions to meet the world’s growing food needs, conserve natural resources and protect the environment whilst improving the lives of growers and communities.”

Visit the DEKALB SA website – www.dekalb.co.za