Billionaire's Cotton Dream Languishes in Seed-Royalty Limbo
- Argentine Eduardo Eurnekian hampered by dispute over seed law
- Intellectual property rules means patented technology outdated
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Argentine billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian wants to get back into the cotton business. He has 25,000 acres and a ginnery ready to go. There’s just one problem: he can’t get his hands on any modern seeds.
In Argentina, the latest patented cotton seeds available are at least a decade old. Using those in 2018 is “like running a Ferrari on compressed natural gas,” said David Hughes, agricultural adviser to Eurnekian’s holding company Corporacion America.