Summary: Jiangsu Yunfan has already dismantled the production facilities for all pesticide intermediates and TC products in its existing plant. It also set about the relocation of production lines for pesticide formulations into a new plant located in the Qidong Life and Health Industrial Park in Jiangsu Province, which stands outside the 1 km-range to the banks of the Yangtze River.

On 15 April, Jiangsu Yunfan Chemical Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu Yunfan) revealed that it had worked out a new development plan for its existing plant in the Qidong Life and Health Industrial Park (formerly known as Qidong Binjiang Fine Chemical Park), Qidong City, Jiangsu Province. Since the plant is within the 1 km-range to the banks of the Yangtze River, and there is a change to the industry positioning of the industrial park it is located in, the company has to go through rectification procedures as required by local government. Following the new plan, Jiangsu Yunfan dismantled the production facilities for all pesticide intermediates and TC products in the old plant, and set about relocating production lines for pesticide formulations into a new plant in the same park, outside the 1 km-range though. That is to say, Jiangsu Yunfan has already demolished its production lines for oxyfluorfen TC, methoxyphenone TC, clethodim TC, tebuthiuron TC and bromacil TC.

Jiangsu Yunfan, established in April 2005, is a subsidiary of Yifan Biotechnology Group Co., Ltd. (Yifan Group). Previously, it boasted production capacity in the old plant, of 1,000 t/a 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, 375 t/a 1,3-bis(2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)benzene, 300 t/a 3-hydroxy-2-propionyl-5-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 200 t/a 97% oxyfluorfen TC, 300 t/a 96.5% methoxyphenone TC, 200 t/a 90% clethodim TC, 200 t/a 95% tebuthiuron TC, 200 t/a 95% bromacil TC and 3,500 t/a pesticide formulations.

However, as multi-tier local governments have rolled out policy documents on the development of the Qidong Life and Health Industrial Park in recent years, such documents including the Program for Construction and Development of Qidong Life and Health Industrial Park (2022–2035), the industry positioning of the park has been modified. In principle, production of pesticide intermediates and technical products is no longer allowed in this park, while production of low-toxicity green pesticide formulations can continue. Jiangsu Yunfan thus keeps a foothold in the park on the condition of production capacity dismantlement and migration.

According to the company's new plan, the old plant, which is within the 1 km-range, will be re-purposed to other uses beyond the production of chemicals, and another plant, which is out of the 1 km bound but still in the same park, will be set up. Products planned in the new plant will not go against the park's positioning and industries encouraged. Basically, Jiangsu Yunfan's new plant will focus on production of pesticide formulations.

So far, Jiangsu Yunfan has already initiated the 3,500 t/a pesticide formulation production lines relocation project. It has planned to acquire the land vacated by Nantong Yinuo Chemical Co., Ltd., which is about 1.150 km away from the Yangtze River, and build the new plant there. Jiangsu Yunfan's total pesticide formulation capacity will stay the same after the relocation, and details of product structure and design capacity are: 100 t/a abamectin·Bacillus thuringiensis 0.1% WP, 300 t/a thiophanate-methyl 70% WP, 200 t/a cyromazine 50% WP, 200 t/a dimethomorph 50% WG, 100 t/a emamectin benzoate 5.7% WG, 300 t/a myclobutanil 20% EW, 500 t/a abamectin·chlorpyrifos 302g/L ME, 200 t/a fenpyroximate 5% SC, 300 t/a pymetrozine·fenobucarb 50% SC, 300 t/a tebuthiuron 500g/L SC, 500 t/a glyphosate ammonium 88.8% SG and 500 t/a glufosinate-ammonium 200g/L AS.

It should be noted that the dismantlement of pesticide intermediate and TC lines in Jiangsu Yunfan does not mean a termination of Yifan Group's participation in the business. In fact, another subsidiary of Yifan Group—Ningxia Yifan Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Ningxia Yifan) has kept expanding its production capacity for pesticide intermediates and TC products. Currently, Ningxia Yifan has already put its 3,000 t/a clethodim TC and 500 t/a bromacil TC lines into normal operation. Its 600 t/a oxyfluorfen TC line came into trial run from late Dec. 2022 and another newly-built 3,000 t/a clethodim TC line started trial production from late Jan. 2023. Other lines for pesticide intermediates and TC products planned by Ningxia Yifan will be completed and become operational in the near future.