Sumitomo to boost production of its flumioxazin herbicide

Sumitomo Chemical intends to add a new line at its Oita works for the production of flumioxazin, its herbicide that is sold in Japan under the brand name of Sumisoya, targeting startup in Q3 2012. With its increased supply capacity and bullish global demand, it expects to expand its business’ annual sales worldwide by several times from the current value of just over 10 bn yen ($ 123mn).

Flumioxazin products are used in the cultivation of soybean, cotton and sugarcane. Applied by scattering in field, they offer long-lasting control of grass weeds as well as promotion of crop growth at the initial stage. They are also effective on weeds that have developed resistance to glyphosate, a wide used herbicide.

Sales in the US market, which are being promoted by Sumitomo’s subsidiary Valent U.S.A, are expected to grow on the back of an expansion in soybean cultivation area and flumioxazin’s incorporation in a management system to combat weeds that have built up resistance to Monsanto Co.’s Roundup herbicide, whose active ingredient is glyphosate, following an agreement concluded in October 2010 between Sumitomo and the US company for long-term collaboration on crop protection and weed control.