An Argentine started as an intern in a multinational company and now the new CEO has been appointed

Juan Lariguet is originally from Intendente Alvear, in the province of La Pampa. agronomist graduated from the University of Buenos Aires. He began his career at Corteva as a Customer Service intern in 2008. Since then, he has held various roles in Supply Chain, Agronomy and Seed Marketing, where he has led the growth of the business through the implementation of a multi-access strategy for market. In 2015 he held a temporary post in Indianapolis, United States. Subsequently, he developed as the Seed Category Leader and Marketing Leader for LATAM Seeds. In 2021 he was appointed Marketing Director of the Mesoandina Region, based in Guadalajara, Mexico. And now he holds the position of CEO for the Southern Cone.

-First sensations of your new role in Corteva …

-On the one hand, very happy to be able to take up this challenge for Corteva in the Cono Sur and on the other, proud to be able to work in this company that cares about the career development of its people, for giving us the opportunity to grow, to make mistakes and moving forward in a company that is one of the greatest solutions for agriculture.

-What is the importance of the region you have to drive?

Latin America is now the region with the fastest growing production for Corteva. In particular, the Southern Cone, which is located within Latin America, is the second most important region after Brazil. He is a pioneer in launching technologies around the world. For example, we were the first to launch PowerCore Enlist, we launched Sembrá Evolución in partnership with the seed industry, which is a new way to capture the value of soybeans. And there are many expectations of being able to continue bringing innovation closer to producers. Notably, Argentina is the third or fourth country, depending on the year, for Corteva out of nearly 150 countries where the company is located. The first is Brazil and the second is the United States.

-What is the company’s goal?

With the Enlist system we want to impose a milestone in the country’s agriculture. We believe that the problem of weeds in Argentina is the most relevant for the producer and we are convinced that through the Enlist system we can change the history of soybean and corn production, generating a simple, versatile and robust system for all problematic situations and for all environments, and in collaboration with many nurseries. The solution for the protection of crops, both at the level of weeds and pathogenic insects, is the genetics of Corteva but also the different genetics that the various nurseries in the country can provide. In 2018 it was launched for corn with resounding success and this year for soy.

-Do you think the new seed law should be updated?

-Today, our goal is to promote Sembrá Evolución and ensure the success of this program. It is a collaborative environment between many players in the sector, not just soy, but any variety of wheat or legume. We hope that Argentina can continue to mature legislatively so that there is progress and allow for a clearer context, but we are convinced that Sembrá Evolución is the way to generate change.

– Corteva has problems importing products?

The context is complex but we are doing everything necessary and we are ordering ourselves according to the needs raised by the different ministries to generate the right balance and not have problems with the import of products, beyond the global logistics problems that are affecting the entire supply chain.

– Could corn seeds be missing for the next campaign?

The agricultural campaign was tough in terms of seed production, with extreme temperature spikes impacting yields. This has generated a shortage of seeds in the overall industry, adding to the growth the corn crop has had year over year, so starting stock levels are low across all farms and Corteva is no exception. In a great new year for corn all over the world and punctually also in Argentina, today hybrids and the most requested technologies are undoubtedly starting to run out. The campaign was very early, which shows the Argentine manufacturer’s interest in using technology and continuing to bet on innovation.

– Why has the pre-campaign been brought forward?

It is the decision making process. The conditions are relatively clear, obviously everything can change due to the weather, but the world context shows that the next two campaigns can be stable from a price point of view and the Argentine producer has shown over the years that when decisions are predictable they are done in advance.