Under China’s vigorous promotion of green, safe and sustainable development, environmental protection has become one of the criteria governing the industry development, which requires strong technical backup, patience and persistence. Recently, Yuan Ligang, general manager of Hebei Lansheng Biotech Co., Ltd. and Dr. Ma Jihai, chief scientist of the company, in an online interview, gave a briefing on the company’s innovation achievements in green chemistry and continuous reaction.
Transcripts of the online interview are as follows:

Reporter: Hello Dr. Ma, as far as we know, in recent years Lansheng Biotech has consecutively won the Innovation Contribution Award of CCPIA. What are the company’s core competency and technical advantages? Can you please give a briefing?
Ma Jihai: Our company has invented several new reactors and extractors, using the domestically and internationally advanced technology and equipment, which result in a great improvement of production efficiency as a benefit of the fine chemical industry. These achievements have opened up new approaches to green chemistry and continuous reaction. The application of the continuous and automated production process has led to fundamental improvement in respect of work safety, pollution control, quality upgrade and expansion of capacity, which is best reflected by our improved production process of the herbicide clethodim. The synthesis process of the product will involve nine work steps; hence, the mass production is not easy. The application of the continuous production process allows for a safe, energy-saving production run with reduced emission, where the product content reaches above 95% and the annual output reaches 4,000 tons, which are handled smoothly by only three unmanned workshops.
In 2020, the EU technical equivalence was granted to our clethodim technical, which now takes up 30% market share in China. In addition, the fungicide boscalid of our company is the only product that has a content of above 98% in China, which is leading the domestical market, with a 90% market share. For this product, we have drafted two national industry standards. At present, our plant growth regulator brassinolide has the best quality, being supplied at most competitive price in China, with a 50% market share, which contributes to the increased grain production in China.

Reporter: What is the company’s future development plan? Please share with us your vision.
Yuan Ligang: Our company will continue our dedication to the pesticide industry development and assume responsibility to serve agriculture via technical innovation and product upgrade, starting with innovation in chemical reaction as an entry point, so as to achieve the objectives of “environmental protection on design, work safety on design, quality assurance on design and production efficiency on design.” We are committed to green manufacturing as being based on a combination of clean production, green technology and smart manufacturing toward the goal of “energy conservation, consumption reduction and emission reduction.” We are striving to become an industry practitioner of green manufacturing in the agrochemical industry; via market-oriented operations, we provide high-quality product and service; we are aiming to establish a stable industrial chain covering both upstream and downstream industry sectors while making effort on continuous upgrading of the industrial chain.
Source: AgroNews

Lansheng's patents
Recently, the Office of National Postdoctoral Management Committee issued a document announcing that Hebei Lansheng was approved to establish a national postdoctoral research station.
Hebei Lansheng became the first national postdoctoral research station in Jinzhou City, making the city achieve a new breakthrough in the field of scientific research.
The postdoctoral workstation is an important way to cultivate and select high-level scientific and management talents, promoting the combination of industry, academia and research.
Recently, Lansheng’s advantageous product, Clethodim technical, has obtained the EU Technical Equivalence Certificate which proves that the quality of our Clethodim has reached the international leading level. The certificate opened an efficient channel for Lansheng to enter the EU market, and also laid a foundation for the subsequent registration of formulation products.

Clethodim is a low-toxic, low-residue and systemic herbicide with high selectivity for the control of annual and perennial grassy weeds, safe for dicotyledon plants. It is also one of the world's best-selling herbicides, with sales that exceeded US$300 million by 2020 and still growing.
Clethodim is mainly used for weeding in dry fields of more than 40 crops such as soybeans, rapeseed, cotton, peanuts, etc. It can effectively control a series of gramineous grass, annual and perennial weeds of vegetables and fruit trees.

Currently, Lansheng has an 8,000t/a clethodim production line, which is the largest in the world. The clethodim technical has a concentration of over 95%, making us the only company that can offer this level of quality in large quantities in the world at present. A higher concentration means fewer impurities, which effectively reduces the degradation of clethodim technical. The degradation rate of formulations made with high content of clethodim technical can be controlled within 3%. The company has advanced production technologies, with all production equipment going automatic, with some of the products in continuous production.
At present, Lansheng is cooperating with more than 40 customers to register clethodim in over 20 countries and holds nearly 200 products registrations globally.
Source: AgroNews

Adhering to the spirit of People-oriented, Hebei Lansheng contributes to providing better working condition and caring about the employees. During the Spring Festival Holiday, the leaders on behalf of the company brought gifts to those employees who could not get reunion with the family.

The signing ceremony of strategic investment between Lansheng and Hebei Construction Investment Group was held in the conference room of Lansheng on December 30.
According to Zhang Fujie, the Municipal Party Secretary of Jinzhou city, Hebei Construction Investment Group has made outstanding contributions in fostering and promoting the development and expansion of various enterprises in the province. Meanwhile, Lansheng Biotech focuses on scientific and technological research and development, ploughs deep into the frontier of the industry with an advanced management system. This strategic cooperation will surely help Lansheng achieve new leapfrog development. The two sides will continue to deepen cooperation in the future for mutual benefit.
Established in 2014, Hebei Lansheng Biotech Co., Ltd. (Lansheng Biotech) has been growing rapidly in recent years. Due to its considerable resources in the research, development and manufacturing of technicals, Lansheng Biotech ranked 65 on the list of China’s Top 100 pesticide companies in 2020, with total sales of over RMB1 billion (US$154 million). AgroPages recently interviewed Dong Zhipeng (President of Lansheng Biotech), who introduced the company’s R&D and production quality capacities and expressed his opinions on the landscape of the global pesticide industry and the development direction of players, showing impressive passion and ambition.
1. Please briefly introduce the development of Lansheng Biotech
Lansheng Biotech was established in 2014 and is now a pesticide company focusing on “Green Chemistry Innovation.” It is also a multi-channel, multi-field and multi-mode collaborative platform for innovation. Currently, we have four production sites and a green chemistry research institute, which are distributed in provincial or national parks in various provinces of Northern China. We have more than 800 employees, including some 200 engineers and technicians, and our sales exceeded RMB1 billion in 2020. The corporate vision of Lansheng Biotech is to create an innovative company, like Huawei, but in the field of fine chemicals.
2. Please highlight some advantageous products of Lansheng Biotech. What are their benefits?
Our core products include clethodim, spirotetramat, metribuzin, brassinolide and boscalid, which offer benefits as follows:
-Capacity design: Lansheng Biotech designs production capacity according to the market size of products, and our goal for every product is make them leaders in the industry in terms of product quality, process and supply. Currently, we have an 8,000t/a clethodim production line, which is the largest in the world. We are the first manufacturer of spirotetramat in China, capable of producing 500 tons per year, and we plan to expand this to 1,500 tons. We also have the largest design production capacity of brassinolide and boscalid in China.
-Product quality: Lansheng Biotech is committed to the continual improvement of quality. We can produce clethodim technical with a concentration of over 95%, being the only company that can offer this quality level in large quantities in the world at present. A higher concentration means fewer impurities, which effectively reduces the degradation of clethodim technicals. The degradation rate of formulations made with high concentrations of technicals can be controlled within 3%.
3. Please talk about Lansheng Biotech ‘s concept of “Green Chemistry Innovation” and how this concept is being implemented in the processes of development and production.
Lansheng Biotech’s concept of “Green Chemistry Innovation” aims to ensure the development of new technologies for pesticide technicals, as well as to focus on creating new and universal technologies and equipment for the fine chemical industry.
Green Chemistry Innovation means that during the process of producing useful chemicals atom utilization rate is high, the production process is environment-friendly, and the “three wastes” (gas, water and solid waste) are recycled. High energy consumption and high levels of pollution are common in the fine chemical industry today. Our concept of Green Chemistry Innovation aims to explore the necessary technological innovation currently demanded by chemical science and society, representing an irresistible general trend. Through the management of energy systems and the construction of green factories, Lansheng Biotech has greatly improved the recycling and transformation level of resources, and helped promote the intelligent and green development of pesticide technical production.
The green chemical technologies created by Lansheng Biotech have shown their advantages to the industry. They are used by peers in the fine chemical industry and are fully recognized by local governments, further motivating us to continue our method of innovation.
4. When introducing the advantages of your products, you mentioned automation and continuous production. Why are they important to Lansheng Biotech?
Automatic production has been achieved for Lansheng Biotech’s main products and continuous production for some products.
Automatic and continuous manufacturing can guarantee a more stable production process and improve safety during production. Therefore, the discharge of “three wastes” is more predictable and easier to manage, which is conducive to quality management and maintaining product quality.
Automation will also inevitably require less labor, reduce human errors, and guarantee safety, environmental protection, product quality and production efficiency.
5. Lansheng Biotech has its own characteristics in terms of building its upstream and downstream supply chains. Please tell us how it built its “production alliance.”
Lansheng Biotech always attaches importance to its strategic cooperation with upstream and downstream supply chains, as well as to resource integration, to tackle the bottlenecks of the industrial chain.
Guided by the concept of “Coexistence and Win-Win,” Lansheng Biotech has united a group of close partners. Through our cooperation, certain partnerships were promoted to partners for starting new businesses and growing together. The company is not only just a buyer or a seller to our partners, it is also a provider of various technical support services and production management. In addition, we have our own production facilities for some key intermediates, extending to the upstream supply chain.
Guided by our inclusive, credible, pragmatic and shared corporate culture and based on the concept of Coexistence and Win-Win, we have established alliances with several companies based on the strength of our advanced manufacturing technology, scientific management methodologies, forward-looking market sensitivity and operational ability.
6. Can you tell us about the root cause of and motivation for Lansheng Biotech’s rapid development?
The first is the country’s general development conditions. The steady development pace of the country, the industry’s good supply capacity of basic raw materials, and our accumulated experience and lessons learnt in the fine chemical industry over many years have played a key role in the rapid development of the company. As a hero is nothing more than a product of their time, Lansheng Biotech would not have developed rapidly and continuously without these decisive conditions.
A business without talents will not succeed and grow. Innovative talents who are ambitious are the core drivers of company development. The rapid development of Lansheng Biotech is inseparable from the talents who joined the company and aspired to make their careers. To help these special talents lead teams to success is the mission of Lansheng Biotech’s platform and the fundamental reason for its rapid development. The aim is to contribute to scientific development and technological progress and preserve ever-lasting green mountains and lucid waters, through the efforts of a team of like-minded people to break through the bottlenecks limiting industrial development. This is the greatest motivation for everyone at Lansheng Biotech.
7. What are the marketing methodologies of Lansheng Biotech both at home and abroad?
Since its establishment in 2014, Lansheng Biotech has been well recognized by the domestic market, because of our good reputation and excellent product performance.
We only began operating in foreign markets in the last two years, and we are still in our primary stage. We offer unique quality products, have an efficient management system, and are willing to cooperate with foreign partners. We are certain that we can provide quality pesticides to farmers around the world.
The specific plan of Lansheng Biotech for advancing its foreign trade is to establish roots in China and plan for the rest of the world. Relying on China’s sound industrial system, healthy and stable social environment, and the international cooperation network created by many outstanding predecessors, we will compete in the global market with our stable supply capability.
Whether at home or abroad, we will cooperate with our partners in many fields and in many ways based on our concept of “Coexistence and Win-Win.” Lansheng Biotech is committed to creating an innovation and cooperation platform for the fine chemical industry.
We are actively registering our flagship products in overseas markets and completing our dossiers for product registration. At present, we are cooperating with over 40 customers to register our products in more than 20 countries. We will exert greater efforts related to product registration, especially in key markets, such as Brazil.
8. How do you view the trend for many domestic pesticide companies to relocate their production bases to the northwest region? What changes will happen to the pesticide production landscape of China in the future?
This is the outcome of an industrial policy adjustment that encourages and supports the shift of the industry’s production to the northeast region. Regardless of where a production base is, safety and environmental protection are important and must not be compromised.
China’s pesticide industry has experienced tremendous changes and made great progress in the last ten years, beginning with the change in the understanding of the industry by the CPC and the central government. Due to the support of the central government, the industry ushered in a decade of vigorous advancement.
The future landscape of the industry is bound to be the scenario of the strong ones becoming stronger. Companies with unique characteristics will have a share in the market and those who adapt to changes will be the big winners of the future.
9. Under the new international trade and policy environment, how should China’s outstanding pesticide manufacturers compete in the global agrochemical industry and create a new landscape and order?
Firstly, be well prepared in cognition. The era of extensive development due to material shortages is over. Never attempt to attain profits by means of non-compliance. Instead, we should make every endeavor better.
Secondly, take the right action. Cognition is not enough unless combined with the right actions. Safety and environmental protection are the red lines that cannot be crossed; high product quality is the foundation for development and keeping customers; low production cost is the basis for competition; and good business integrity is the super business card in a credit-centered society.
Finally, keep learning and innovating. Learning will drive one to make progress, and we will be taller if we stand on the shoulders of giants. Continuous learning will enable us to have what others have. Innovation determines where we will go. Only by doing a good job in terms of innovation can we have what others do not have.
However, these efforts are not enough if we want to have the ability to participate in the creation of a new international landscape and order. Something more should be done:
- Dare to shoulder responsibilities and make breakthroughs;
- It is very important to establish brand awareness and ensure good quality. Every excellent company has its brand products, and quality ensures their longevity;
- A strong sense of cooperation. Through the concept of Coexistence and Win-Win, every player in the industry will succeed.
Business contact:
Adam Sun
Export director
Tel: 86+531-88685458 86+18663762788(Mobile)
Email:shb@lanshenggroup.cn
Adhere to the concept of safe development, the company held different kinds of drills and contests to strengthen safety management, emergency capacity and team safety building.

Emergency rescue drill for hazardous chemical accidents

Emergency rescue skills competition

Fire fighting equipment drill