We live in a world of stark contrast. While Western
societies are concerned with lifestyle and diet, people in
the developing world are facing hunger, malnutrition,
disease and degradation of precious agricultural land
and water.
Syngenta contributes in many practical ways to help
address these challenges around the world. Every
day, hundreds of millions of farmers produce higher
yields and healthier crops through the use of
Syngenta products:
In the developed world, Syngenta products are
contributing to a healthier, tastier and more exciting
diet. In response to a variety of differing challenges,
Syngenta is at the forefront of providing solutions that
enhance life in both worlds.
Syngenta has a strong position in all major agricultural markets of the world.
The companys objective is to enhance leadership by developing new solutions
for existing and emerging pests, maximizing the growth potential of new products.
Syngenta is developing its business in the expanding markets of Latin America,
East Europe and Asia, as well as reinforcing its position in the developed
markets of North America and
Western Europe.
Crop Protection
In 2004, sales increased across all product lines and in all
regions, with Europe and Latin America generating the strongest growth. Increased
disease pressure, notably from soybean rust in Latin America, and disease resistance
in European cereals contributed to a double digit increase in fungicide sales,
with AMISTAR exceeding $500 million. Total sales of new products grew by 32
per cent1 and are approaching $700 million. This has been driven by continued
growth in the
CALLISTO® range on corn, the high performance
multi-crop insecticide, ACTARA/CRUISER, as well as the successful launch of
ENVOKE on cotton in the USA. The range rationalization program has enabled focus
on the most profitable products and efficiency improvements in the supply chain.
This four-year program with a cumulative sales impact of some $300 million is
now complete and has made
a significant contribution to increasing profitability.
In corn herbicides, Syngentas leading position in the USA was reinforced
by the continued success of the
CALLISTO® range. Farmers are increasingly realizing that on glyphosate tolerant
acres, they cannot rely on glyphosate alone; weed control using selective herbicides
before and after the crop emerges is required
to maximize yields.
In European cereals, Syngenta was first to provide a specific solution for
the severe resistance problem of the important fungal disease, Septoria, to
a leading
class of chemistry, strobilurins. AMISTAR Opti,
incorporating BRAVO, which has an effective and unique mode of action against
this disease, was launched in the UK in 2004. As resistance spreads into France
and Germany, Syngenta is well prepared to meet increasing customer demand in
Europes two
largest cereal markets.
In Latin American soybeans, a new disease, rust, has reached pandemic proportions
in Brazil and is now impacting neighboring countries. In 2004, Syngenta launched
a new high performance product,
PRIORI Xtra, to combat this severe threat to farmers livelihoods. The use of
this product is supported by the
companys innovative web-based diagnostic system, SYNTINELA, whereby an early
warning system alerts farmers and distributors to the presence of the disease
in their area. Syngenta will be providing high quality products and services
to farmers in the USA following the confirmation of the first cases of soybean
rust by
the US Department of Agriculture in late 2004.
In the $5.4 billion global fruit and vegetable market for insect and disease
control, characterized by multiple crops in many parts of the world, increasingly
tight quality protocols and rapidly expanding cross border trade, a comprehensive
product offer is essential. Syngenta has built on its modern and broad portfolio
of fungicides and insecticides for these crops and significantly increased
sales of the insecticide ACTARA. With its rapid action and ability to be applied
directly to the soil, this product controls a multitude of insect pests in
a wide range of crops.
1 Growth at constant exchange rates (CER).
