Norofert announces the development, by its subsidiary Norofert do Brasil LTDA, of a new industrial facility in Guatambu, Santa Catarina state. Situated on a 3-hectare plot, the facility is designed for the production of agricultural inputs and for biotechnology research and development, featuring a high-capacity laboratory.
The land is leased to Norofert do Brasil LTDA for an initial period of ten years, with the possibility of extension and subsequent acquisition. According to the contract, the purchase price is calculated at 80% of the market value, less the investments and authorized improvements made by Norofert do Brasil. The current indicative value of the land is estimated at approximately 500,000 euros.
The second Norofert do Brasil factory will be built on this site, complementing the already operational unit, which will be used exclusively for the production of biological plant protection products. The new factory will integrate production, storage, quality control and its own laboratory for the production and multiplication of bacteria, reducing dependence on suppliers and giving Norofert do Brasil better control over costs, deadlines, quality and product development.
The total estimated investment, cumulating the two contracted financing lines, is approximately 12 million Brazilian reais ( EUR 2 million). The financing is provided by Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul, BRDE, a public development bank in southern Brazil, through two financing contracts, one of which is under the Inovacred program run by Finep, the Brazilian agency for innovation and research. The deadline for commencing the work is six months, and the project includes industrial equipment, a laboratory, certifications, testing, specialists, technical infrastructure, and the development of in-house production capacity.
The new facility will have a planned capacity of approximately 70,000 liters per day and will produce microbiological inoculants, biofungicides, bioinsecticides and bionematicides. The targeted portfolio covers multiple needs in modern agriculture, from plant nutrition and soil health to biological crop protection.
“Through this project, we are building our own production, research, testing and marketing platform in Brazil, not just a local factory. Brazilian agriculture represents a market of approximately 96 million hectares for solutions dedicated to productivity, soil health and regenerative agriculture. With the maturation of the portfolio, obtaining certifications, expanding distribution and increasing penetration on the Brazilian market, we see significant scaling potential compared to the initial stage. Also, the value of the land may increase as the area consolidates as an industrial pole”, declared Vlad Popescu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Norofert S.A.