BASF expands market coverage with a new company in Cambodia

New company offers range of solutions for diverse industries such as furniture, footwear, food and beverages and animal feed 

Three new crop protection products will help rice farmers better manage pests 

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – January 16, 2019 – BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, today inaugurated its first wholly-owned company in Cambodia: BASF (Cambodia) Co. Ltd. BASF has been active in the Cambodian market since 2014 through distribution partners. Now, the company’s direct presence in the market will offer potential Cambodian customers and stakeholders innovative solutions in a range of diverse industries.

Petrus Ng, Managing Director, BASF Thailand and responsible for Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, delivering his opening remarks at the grand opening ceremony of BASF (Cambodia) Co. Ltd.

“BASF aims to bring a wide range of innovative and sustainable solutions to support the growth of Cambodia’s strategic industries, including furniture, rubber, footwear, nutrition and health and agriculture,” said Petrus Ng, Managing Director, BASF in Thailand and Indochina. “Our customers in Cambodia will enjoy the support of BASF’s global network, expertise and innovation.”

The company’s main businesses in Cambodia will be chemicals (monomers and intermediates), performance materials (polyurethane solutions), nutrition and health and agricultural solutions.

“Though Cambodia has quickly become a leading exporter of high-quality premium rice, a number of challenges remain for the country’s agricultural sector, including relatively lower levels of technology use and understanding by growers on how best to utilize innovations,” said Martin Wolf, ASEAN Business Director, BASF Agricultural Solutions. “We believe BASF is well suited to help address these challenges and are excited to help Cambodian farmers become more profitable and sustainable.”

Three new crop protection products will be initially launched, empowering farmers and growers with more tools in their toolbox to manage their crops:  

Basagran Herbicide – for broadleaf weeds and sedges in rice

Tetris Herbicide – for weed grasses in rice

Regent 50 SC Insecticide – for stemborer, thrips and leaf folder in rice

To support local farmers, BASF will maintain a team of local technical specialists in Cambodia, who will be supported by BASF’s network of experts in Southeast Asia and around the globe. Additionally, BASF aims to engage with both distribution partners and farmers directly to conduct training sessions on sustainable agricultural practices; including proper selection and safe storage, application and disposal of crop protection products.

BASF will also offer solutions from its Performance Materials division. These include solutions primarily in footwear and furniture manufacturing. For more than forty years, BASF has been developing, producing, and selling the tailor-made footwear materials Elastopan® and Elastollan® for all types of shoes and soles. With its portfolio of polyurethane systems, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers and engineering thermoplastics, BASF offers leading companies in the footwear industry a unique and integrated toolbox of solutions. The Performance Materials division also provides a portfolio of applications for the automotive industry, consumer goods, construction, and industrial products across Asia Pacific. 

Additionally, BASF’s Nutrition & Health division is providing high-quality solutions and products to the food and beverages industry and to the animal feed industry in Cambodia, supporting the growth of the market.