Syngenta has announced a $63 million expansion project at its corn production facility in Phillips, just east of Grand Island. 

Once the expansion is complete, the Phillips corn production facility expansion will result in a substantial increase in total plant capacity. 

"We are very excited about this expansion and the opportunities this will bring to our Nebraska location," says Bill Hunter, Phillips plant manager for Syngenta.

This expansion addresses the demand for seed on a national level, Hunter says. It means that locally additional 5,500 seed corn acres will be contracted with central Nebraska farmer-growers.

The site expansion includes:

Syngenta To Expand Seed Corn Operations In Nebraska

"Syngenta is committed to delivering the highest quality product to our customers," says Clayton Osburn, head of corn operations for Syngenta.  "The growth of our Phillips site will allow Syngenta to provide customers with integrated solutions that help address the rising demand for commercial corn in North America."

According to a Syngenta news release, construction was set to begin last month and is anticipated to be complete in time for the 2013 harvest.

Scott Merritt, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, says the Syngenta expansion in Phillips is another example of the importance of Nebraska to the seed industry. "More and more, seed companies appreciate the security of irrigation to produce their seed products," according to Merritt. "Expansions of the seed industry like this are good for the local community and add more jobs."