Biological fertiliser company Neutrog Australia is ramping up its R&D commitment to global food security, investing $3.5 million in a new research and education facility in regional South Australia.
The unlisted public company has unveiled plans for the world-class multi-functional facility to be located at its current site in Kanmantoo in the Adelaide Hills.
The investment will expand Neutrog’s current on-site laboratory capacity four-fold, significantly boosting the capacity and scope for biological research it carries out, while also creating a new education hub for industry, schools and the community.
Artist’s impression of Neutrog’s proposed plans for it’s Adelaide Hills site development.
“Research and development is an integral part of our company’s DNA,” Neutrog Australia Managing Director Angus Irwin said.
“We have outgrown our existing laboratory and with the increasing demand we are experiencing from our customers and partners, we need to position for the future.
“While we’re investing in our research capabilities, we also want to help educate the industry and broader community on the latest global developments in microbes and biologicals and their increasing value to agriculture and horticulture.
“It is widely recognised that over the next 20 years, food production needs to increase by 70 to 100 per cent from diminishing areas of arable land just to feed the world’s growing population. Biologicals are increasingly seen as playing a significant role in achieving this goal.”
Neutrog has built a world-leading reputation for its R&D on microbes that inhibit soil and plant diseases, currently costing global agricultural and horticultural production billions of dollars in both prevention and treatment, most often with chemicals.
The investment comes as Neutrog continues to grow its reach across Australia and overseas.
