DuPont’s Pioneer seed unit buys 2 companies

DuPont Co. said its seed division Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. bought two seed companies that had been distributing seed under Pioneer trademarks for undisclosed prices.

The acquired companies are Seed Consultants Inc. in Washington Court House, Ohio, and Terral Seed in Lake Providence, La.

Pioneer, which is based in Des Moines, Iowa, is expected to have $5 billion in sales of agricultural seeds this year, mostly corn and soybeans, according to a DuPont investor presentation this month.

DuPont also said it had purchased three additional seed companies earlier this month.    - Harold Brubaker