Syngenta to invest in expansion of fungicide

Sales for azoxystrobin reached US $1 billion last year, according to PRWeb, causing Syngenta Crop Protection to invest in production expansion for the fungicide. Total fungicide sales at the company were up 25% in 2008, with strong demand forecast to continue. azoxystrobin, under US patent protection until 2014, is the foundation of the Syngenta fungicide portfolio.

Syngenta is investing in a major expansion of manufacturing capacity for its leading fungicide, which can be found in brands such as Quadris, Quilt and Abound. Improvements at its facility in Omaha, Nebraska, US, will allow Syngenta to produce Quilt fungicide at 10 times the current capacity. Syngenta announced the capacity expansion program in 2008, when it began with a planned investment of $600 million worldwide over three years for azoxystrobin and the insecticide thiamethoxam. The manufacturing site in Omaha will operate on a new system utilizing continuous formulation instead of the current batch process.

 
Expansion at Omaha began in March 2009, and the new system is expected to be online by the first quarter of 2010.