Syngenta has formally opened its new biologicals production facility in Orangeburg with the governor of South Carolina attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new site will produce 16,000 tonnes of plant biostimulants per year, said Syngenta in its release. It will be a zero-wastewater plant, allowing for the recovery and re-use of water on-site.

The plant was originally going to be built by pioneering biostimulant company Valagro, who held a ground-breaking event on the site on 1 October 2019. However, in October the following year Valagro was acquired by Syngenta. New AG International understands that there was a delay due to the Covid global pandemic and then a design phase of 2 years. Construction took around 20 months.

Syngenta CEO Jeff Rowe said: “Farming is vital to this nation, and we are strongly committed to American farmers. The new biologicals facility not only underscores a commitment to our footprint and economic development in South Carolina but also supports farmers all across this great nation. We remain committed to delivering new and innovative tools to benefit them, and the strong ag industry we serve and depend upon.”