>>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS. I'M GERRY DICK. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE $16
BILLION AGBIOSCIENCES SECTOR IN INDIANA? CAN THE STATE BECOME A ROBUST ECOSYSTEM FOR THIS GROWING,
INNOVATION-BASED INDUSTRY? SOME 500 GLOBAL AGRICULTURE LEADERS AND ENTREPRENEURS GATHERED FOR THE FIRST-EVER
FORBES AGTECH SUMMIT-INDIANAPOLIS THIS WEEK. BECK'S HYBRIDS IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE SECTOR...THE NATION'S
LARGEST FAMILY-OWNED SEED COMPANY AND VERY MUCH A COMPANY FUELED BY TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
BECK'S PRESIDENT SCOTT BECK WAS A PRESENTER AT THE FORBES AGTECH SUMMIT, HE JOINS ME NOW IN-STUDIO.
>> WHAT THE SUMMIT PUT ON A INTERNATIONAL EVENT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN CALIFORNIA THE FIRST TIME EVER PUT INTO THE
MIDWEST AND INDIANA. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE STATE? >> IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE
LEADERSHIP HERE FROM GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, START UP COMPANIES. PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING THE
ASSETS THAT ARE INDIANA AND IT'S A HUB OF INNOVATION AND PARTICULARLY AGBIOSCIENCES. >> 'S TEAM FOR PARENTS AT THE
EVENT. IT SHOWCASED TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION AND I KNOW THERE WAS A BIG GROUP THAT TOWARD YOUR
COMPLEX AS PART OF THIS EVENT. A CHANCE TO SHINE A LIGHT. >> THERE WERE 10 DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT SHOWCASED SOME OF
THEIR LATEST INNOVATIONS REGARDING SENTENCING, IMAGERY, TESTING OF CROPS IN SEASON AND USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP FARMERS
MAKE BETTER DECISIONS. >> TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION. AND HOW THAT SUCH A BIG PART OF
THE COMPANY. HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS ENABLED YOU TO GROW FAR BEYOND INDIANA.
>> THE INNOVATION THAT GOT STARTED WAS IN THE '30s. SO MY GRANDFATHER AND GREAT-GRANDFATHER GOT THEIR
ALLOTMENT AND STARTED WITH 6 ACRES AND THAT INNOVATION HYBRID TECHNOLOGY ENABLED FARMERS TO GO FROM 30 BUSHELS AN
ACRE TO TODAY WITH THE USE OF OTHER TECHNOLOGY THE USDA SAYS FARMERS IN THE U.S. WILL AVERAGE 180.
SIX TIMES THE YIELD IN 80 YEARS. >> TALK ABOUT HOW YOU USE THAT EXAMPLE AND EXPAND TO, SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN AGRICULTURE
RIGHT NOW. 60 MILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY IN INDIANA. WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL TO GROW
THIS INTO SOMETHING BIG IN TERMS OF JOBS AND INVESTMENT? >> THERE IS A FOCUS AND PART OF WHAT AGBIOSCIENCES IS DONE IS
IDENTIFY WHERE THE GAPS ARE. WE REALLY HAVE A GAP IN HELPING YOUNGER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH AND AGRICULTURE. THINK ABOUT THE ASSETS, 2/3 OF WHAT WE DO IN INDIANA IS RAISING
CROPS ON THE LAND WE HAVE. CROP GROWING IS A FACTORY, PRODUCING SOMETHING. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO
WORK A FEW MONTHS AGO AND MANY OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THEY ARE USING TO PRODUCE CARS WE ARE USING IN AGRICULTURE FROM
IMAGERY AND SENSORS, ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION. SO I GUESS PART OF THE EFFORT OF ALL OF US IN AGRICULTURE TO MAKE
AWARENESS OF THE ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. >> YOU MENTIONED THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING THE
AGBIOSCIENCES AND A LOT OF MOMENTUM BEHIND IT AND YOUNG PEOPLE YOU SEE THAT AS A CHALLENGE AN OPPORTUNITY IN
TERMS OF GROWING AGBIOSCIENCES. MITCH DANIELS MENTIONED THAT STUDENT STARTUPS HAVE INCREASED FIVE FOLD 1/3 OF THOSE ARE AG
RELATED. SO THAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HIGHER POWER IS OUT THERE NEEDS TO BE HARNESSED.
>> PURDUE IS A MAJOR INSTITUTION AND A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH WHAT PURDUE IS STILL BE IN THE FOUNDRY AND
TRYING TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY AND DISCOVERIES OUT INTO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS. >> AS WE WRAP UP YOU SEE THIS
AS AN INITIATIVE IN SOMETHING REAL IN OTHER WORDS, THE AGBIOSCIENCES COULD BE THE NEXT BIG THING FOR INDIANA.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE PASSION IS THERE WITH THE PEOPLE WORKING, LEADERSHIP IS THERE AND IT'S A MATTER OF
GETTING ALL THAT CONNECTED AND LITTLE SPARKS THAT SET UP THE FIRE.