If you have worked this year and in the past with Specialty Hybrids or Stewart Seeds and you like the seed and your rep, even with changes next year as those brands move to the Channel umbrella, you can continue the existing relationship.
“If there was a Specialty dealer or a Stewart dealer that wants to continue into this new Channel, and we’re encouraging them, we want them to continue, those customers are going to continue to be able to buy from that person,” says Chris Smith, area business manager at Channel. “It’s the same deal with their field sales representative that covers those dealers or legacy seedsmen. We are keeping all those relationships intact so we’re not rearranging territories or anything like that. That’s our intention anyway across the countryside, so if they had somebody they really enjoy working with that’s going to continue into ‘24 and beyond.”
Earlier this year Channel announced they’ll be taking their ten regional brands and the legacy Channel brand to form the new Channel with 11 combined brands. It means more products in the portfolio and they are also adding more technical agronomists out in the field.
“We know as this thing goes along and we add more of these products, the need to have that expertise of placing those products and understanding the different environments is going to be needed as well. So we’re adding more technical agronomists. That’s also going to free up our seed dealers from a Specialty, Stewart and legacy Channel standpoint, to be out there even more and providing that expertise.”
Smith says farmers will benefit from having even better products to consider for their field.
“We always get complimented on our products from either side of those brands, but we’re going to bring those together and have an even better portfolio, a deeper portfolio that is specific to their area.”
Across the Midwest in 2023, Smith says their products performed well, often providing outstanding yields in the many areas that missed rains when they were needed most.
