【Country report】Mexico Agriculture: Thrive on the Shift from Efficiency to Resiliency / Serie #5

This article will be available in 7 parts. Here is the 5th part. Read the other parts here.

Dustin Simmons 

General Director at Nichino México 

When was Nichino México founded?  Please introduce the background and development history of Nichino México.

As a division of Nichino America, Nichino Mexico was founded in October 2020. As a dream, and as a project it was born a couple of years before. For us, opening a Nichino subsidiary in Mexico was a crucial step as a company. We were aware that we wanted to increase our market share in Mexico and that building our own brand would help Nihon Nohyaku Group's global position. Above all else, though, being in Mexico enables us to be nearer to the farmers and gain firsthand knowledge of how our products perform and what our active ingredients might be able to do in the rural settings of Mexico. Nichino Mexico was conceived to improve crop protection services and hasten the commercialization of our patented molecules.

What made the parent company of Nichino México think Mexico was a market they needed to enter?  What are the unique attractions of this market?  

We see growth potential in Mexican agriculture and believe we can bring crop protection innovation to support that growth. Furthermore, as a research and development-focused company, we are excited to approach a market that can benefit from our products by tailoring them to the specific conditions of growers throughout Mexico. Our particular interest in entering the citrus niche market stemmed from the favorable conditions of this product and its export market, as well as pest problems shared by U.S. growers. This gives us the assurance that we are reaching an important market with our crop protection products that have proven their efficacy and are ready to do so in Mexico.

The company started its business by focusing on citrus crops. What are the products targeted at citrus crops introduced by your company currently?  

We currently have two acaricides/insecticides and one herbicide for citrus in our portfolio.

Portal^® is a cellular respiration disruptor and contact acaricide/insecticide. We want to position Portal^® as a broad-spectrum acaricide with effective control and low toxicity to beneficial insects.

Hachi-Hachi^® provides the power and speed required to control economically important pests such as Thrips and Diaphorina, as well as a wide range of mites. Hachi^® is an essential tool for IPM plans due to its patented active ingredient and distinct mode of action.

Finally, Kabuki^® is a broadleaf weed herbicide that, when combined with Glyphosate or Glufosinate, provides excellent protection against weeds that are resistant or difficult to control. Kabuki^® is currently registered in corn, in addition to citrus.

Will the strong research and development capabilities of the Japanese parent company help Nichino México launch more proprietary products in Mexico in the future?  

The Nihon Nohyaku group's emphasis on research and development is unquestionably the guiding principle of all its subsidiaries, including Mexico. Being a part of this group with nearly a century of tradition and innovation provides Nichino Mexico with a solid foundation from which to offer new, efficient, and patented active ingredients in our products. We are ready to start growing our portfolio with label expansions to our current products and bringing new and exciting molecules to niche crop markets. 

Where does Nichino México want to be in the next 5 years? 

Nichino Mexico will have completed to establish and will be entering the growth stage in five years, with a broader portfolio, presence in other crop markets, and a strong distribution network throughout Mexico.

But beyond everything, we want to be in the field, next to the farmer, helping to ensure a safe and stable food supply and improving the quality of life for everyone through technological innovation in one, two, five, or however many years you envision.

This article was initially published in AgroPages' '2022 Latin America Focus' magazine.