Agri-biotechnology firm Syngenta has capitalized on an $8M-worth of corn seed processing plant in Pangasinan, Philippines in line with its thrust to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers and to contribute to food security through innovative and sustainable production system. The state of the art seed plant that officially opened Tuesday (February 1) is equipped with high-tech and computerized machinery for drying, shelling, sorting, and quality control capabilities that can process 2,000 metric tons (MT) of seeds annually. It will employ 150 locals from Binalonan, Pangasinan, and nearby towns.

"This investment reinforces the commitment of Syngenta to the Philippines and its farmers as we continue to bring the best technology in agriculture to the country," Syngenta Philippines country head Recher Ondap told The Philippine STAR in an interview. He emphasized that, "by growing and processing the hybrid corn in the Philippines, Syngenta ensures that our farmers can get seeds that are newly harvested, has excellent germination potential and are well suited to local conditions. In this way, Syngenta also contributes towards the food security goals of the Philippines."

The newly-built plant beefs up biotechnology propagation in Philippine local communities as well as its neighboring ASEAN countries as Syngenta Philippines plans to export biotech corn seeds to Vietnam and Indonesia.

For related stories, please read the articles from The Philippine STAR at http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=653787&publicationSubCategoryId=66, and Manila Bulletin at http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/301990/syngenta-invests-8-million-pangasinan-seed-processing-plant.

For more biotechnology updates in the Philippines, visit http://www.bic.searca.org/ or e-mail bic_at_agri.searca.org. (Jenny A. Panopio and Rochella B. Lapitan)