Future-ready farming? It’s happening now at Syngenta

The current state of farming could be a daunting scenario to consider, given the challenges of rising costs of farm inputs, climate change, land and labor shortage concerns, old/outdated technology, and/or knowledge. 

This is not the best food security situation for the future of a steadily increasing population (estimated to be 1.4 % in 2019 by the Philippine Statistics Authority) that relies on an agriculture sector that only grew by 0.5% in late 2020. This is why for Syngenta Philippines, growing for the future starts now with targeted farm solutions designed for crops that are critical to the Filipino farmer, such as rice, corn, and bananas. From tried-and-tested products that growers have come to trust, it is now adding innovative solutions developed to address challenges brought about by the complexities of the farming environment.

Answering grower challenges

The heart of a good harvest lies in maximizing plant potential, which is what Syngenta’s top-quality seeds and crop protection solutions aim to deliver to the Pinoy farmer. 

One such recent introduction to the market is NK VIP, which are hybrid corn seeds with 4 Bt proteins. This variety is highly resistant to the dreaded fall armyworm (FAW) that has been recently reported to be causing considerable damage to corn crops in Negros just this June, and a PHP 20-billion loss for corn farms in 2020.

Beleaguered banana growers face stronger pressure to reverse its slide from second to third as a global banana exporter. This translates to a substantial reduction of almost USD300 million from last year,  because as much as 40,000 hectares (40% of total hectarage) were adversely affected by Fusarium wilt (also known as Panama disease). 

This is where Vaniva ®, a fungicide built on Syngenta’s Tymirium ®  technology can help. It offers comprehensive, broad-spectrum protection against fusarium safely and sustainably, with local experts applying Vaniva via an application service.

An ecosystem of support

A Syngenta solution is more than just a sale – buying a product means getting into a support ecosystem. This means that customers will not just get a product but expert agronomic advice, plus important safety and stewardship knowledge. Farmer meetings - the core of a Syngenta relationship – offer a venue for growers to discuss and resolve their pressing issues. Complementing this is product safety training conducted locally, in Syngenta knowledge centers, plus events and activities in collaboration with relevant government agencies, and local government units.

And when the team can’t be there, there is the Cropwise Grower Tiwala app. The app is the digital “face” of Syngenta on a smartphone, and along with product information, a user can diagnose crop conditions, access weather information, and get information from which trusted sellers they can buy from.

Sustainability as core strategy

More than a buzzword, sustainability is where Syngenta really shines as its activities mark milestones, going the extra mile more than compliance. Its April Balik Basyo program in Benguet was the first such program sponsored by an individual company, complying with the Extended Producer Responsibility Act to the fullest extent. To ensure that farmers get the best out of its rice solutions, it started the KASAKA rice productivity campaign last May, and is underway in Marcos province in Ilocos Norte, equipping small to mid-size rice farmers with a full suite of products, agronomic advice, safety, and digital tools. It is also the sole company,  so far, to train farmers in maintaining soil health through SIBOL, a soil health program, implemented in its Alfonso Lista, Ifugao model farm. Complementing this is a community-based initiative to adopt good soil health practices in partnership with the Ifugao State University. 

Strength in sustainability embedded in its business strategy is perhaps the critical differentiator for Syngenta. While the sector and market outlook for agriculture is far from rosy, this mindset – along with grower focus on its core- should put it on a path where it will not only survive, but also thrive.