A further addition to the range is VIRTAKO ® ,  a member of the DURIVO ®  family. VIRTAKO ® invigorates young transplanted plants and offers  a new mode of action against stem borers, leaf  folders and hoppers. In China, where overuse of  chemicals is a particular issue, we have shown  that a combination of VIRTAKO ® , ARMURE ®  and  PLENUM ®  can halve the number of applications  needed and increase grower revenue by up to  US$ 300 per hectare. Rice is a staple food, eaten every day by almost  half the world’s population.  One fifth of the world’s population – more than a  billion people – depend on rice cultivation for  their livelihoods. Productivity is a critical issue as  the current pace of yield increase is not  sufficient to meet forecast demand. The scope  for improvement is considerable: China is  achieving more than seven tons per hectare  while India and Thailand average only around  three. But growers face severe challenges from  pests, water scarcity and rising labor costs as  rural workers migrate to urban centers. TEGRA ™ , launched in 2010, is such a solution  and represents a step change in the way rice  is grown. This integrated program begins with  high-quality seeds, treated with Syngenta seed  care and grown in trays with a special growing  media to ensure the growth of uniform, high- quality seedlings. The trays are taken to the field  and mechanically transplanted, and growers  then follow a crop protocol tailored to their  needs by a Syngenta agronomist to maximize  yield. TEGRA ™  uses water more efficiently,  combats pests effectively, and is less labor  intensive than conventional techniques.  Trials in India have shown average increases  of 30 percent in yield and US$ 270 in additional  profit per hectare, resulting in a 150 percent  return on investment.  Syngenta has a strong and growing presence in  Asia, where 90 percent of rice is grown.  The breadth of our crop protection portfolio –  including APIRO ®  MX, SOFIT ® , ARMURE ® ,  FILIA ® , AMISTAR TOP ® , PLENUM ®  and  CRUISER ®  – means we are well equipped to  address the multiple pests that challenge  growers of the region’s most important crop.  There are over 200 million smallholders growing  rice in Asia. Addressing the productivity  challenge means finding solutions that work  for these growers. The launch of TEGRA ™  in India will be followed  by other markets across Asia. We will also  expand our footprint for hybrids, currently little  used outside China, while developing native  traits for insect control, bacterial diseases and  abiotic stresses. Crop protection will remain a  mainstay of our portfolio with major active  ingredient launches scheduled. Rice Transforming rice production Sales in Rice  US$m Crop Protection  498 Seeds  9 2011 sales US$507m Target sales US$m 2015  ~1,000 Post 2015 ~1,500 • •  Integrated Solutions Seeds Crop Protection 25 Syngenta Annual Review 2011 Meeting growers’ needs A step change  in rice From transplanting  to harvesting, my  crop stays in better  condition than it did with  the conventional methods  I used before.  Muttineni Veeraiah Rice grower  Andhrapradesh, India More online www.syngenta.com/ar2011 TEGRA ™  expansion Crop enhancement: AMISTAR ® , CRUISER ® Disease and insect control: ARMURE ® , VIRTAKO ® Native traits: bacterial leaf blight, blast and brown plant hopper Ricepipelinehighlights New AIs: herbicide, safener GM traits: insect control 2011  2015 Post 2015