AgroPages-BASF to operate two new agrochem formulation plants in Brazil-Agricultural news

Two new production plants of BASF's Agricultural Division might be completed this year and will start to operate. The plants are being built in the industrial complex of Guaratinguetá, in the state of São Paulo.

"The expectation is that one of the plants would be finished between July and August, and the other one in December", said the Basf Crop Protection president, Markus Heldt, during a conference in Durham, North Carolina.

With the goal of increasing agrochemical formulation capacity and production, not less than €50 million are being invested on the expansion project. Aiming at Brazilian soybean market, BASF expects to produce two new products to fight weeds and fungus diseases.

The assembling unit for fungicide boscalid is also expanding. This product is used for coffee crops, cereals, and fruits.

In June BASF announced that they invested €1.8 billion to increase its production infrastructure at the Agricultural Division. A big share of this investment will be used to complete the project of the Chemical Complex of Guaratinguetá.

"In all of our investments, Guaratinguetá is an strategic place. Brazil is our biggest market and we have experienced a successful growth in the last years", said Heldt. According to extra-official data, 23% of sales (€1.2 billion) of the BASF’s agricultural sector came from South America.