News Investments
BASF invests in Chinese pig sector
BASF Venture Capital, the investment company of the large German chemical group BASF, sees opportunities in Chinese pig farming.
BASF will invest in the Chinese start-up company SmartAHC, a supplier of digitization solutions in pig farming. The company uses digitization to increase business efficiency and improve animal welfare. Digital technology makes it possible to detect diseases at an early stage and, in their own words, pig farmers are more likely to isolate infected animals and limit large-scale spread.
It is BASF's first investment in an agricultural start-up in China. The choice is based on their optimistic view on the long-term development of the Chinese pig sector, according to a BASF spokesperson. According to BASF, the investment may also reduce the risk of outbreaks of African swine fever, which China is struggling with. This is because automation limits contact between humans and animals in order to reduce the risk of contamination.
"The Chinese livestock sector has a lot of room to grow. Although there are also major challenges (such as the corona crisis and, for example, the recent floods), BASF has great confidence in the Chinese pig sector." Lan Song, CEO of SmartAHC, says that with this investment he wants to increase the capacity of the start-up and increase its market share. The exact amount of the investment is not disclosed.
BASF
BASF, originally from Germany, is present in various countries, including the Netherlands. The company's activities include chemical and biological crop protection, soil management solutions, plant health, pest control and digital farming applications.
Chanti Oussoren
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