Agronica NZ is part of one of the world's largest agrichemical companies, the Israelbased Makhteshim Agan Industries, which

has more than 20 global brands.
 

The new name Adama reduces this to a single brand.
 

Agronica NZ general manager, David MacGibbon, says Adama captures the company’s vision and purpose well.
 

“Adama expresses our commitment to farmers, distributors and associated stakeholders to simplify the business of farming,”

he says.
 

“By presenting a clear and useful brand design we are able to give farmers a streamlined approach to our range of crop protection products.”
 

The name Adama is Hebrew for ‘earth’, the essential element of farming, and is also a nod to the parent company’s roots. It also

reflects its farmer-centric identity.
 

“We connect with NZ farmers and our distributer partners and source information and crop solutions from around the world to apply to the local market,” MacGibbon says.
 

In addition to the new name, there’s a new logo, new website, new packaging and a new labelling system.
 

“The Adama logo is a stylised ‘A’ and can also be seen as an arrow pointing upward signifying growth,” MacGibbon says. “It’s

consistent with our business approach of working together with farmers, partners and the farming community to generate growth.”
 

As part of the re-branding, Adama is restructuring its product line and introducing new packaging features.
 

These include colour-coding of product types and container windows that give ata- glance information on remaining product. The company has also addressed the small print on products.
 

“The tiny font and the regulatory information on product labels were identified as a ‘pain point’ for some farmers, so Adama has

come up with a simple and unique font to provide clarity,” MacGibbon says.
 

Many of the packaging and labelling innovations have come out of global think-tanks and have been designed and directed by

farmers themselves.
 

Adama’s ethos of simplifying the business of farming is also reflected in their product development: “We’ve taken a look at the

chemistry and where possible made some innovative changes. For instance making products that are kinder on crops and harder on pests and diseases.”
 

The rebranding process enhances the opportunities for customers to interact with the company. There’s a new corporate website and Adama customers will benefit from the R&D horsepower of seven global product development centres. There are several practical tools in development for farmers toaccess via their smartphones.
 

The company that New Zealanders have known and have been working with for the past ten years may have a new name, but as MacGibbon explains, some things will stay the same.
 

“The things that people enjoy about Agronica will not change,” he says. “For instance the global focus around manufacturing excellence and quality.”
 

Despite Adama’s international heritage, he’s proud to operate a NZ company, with NZ staff, who have 167 years combined industry experience: “We’re a lean company, with highly experienced staff who can make the right decisions at the right time - often out in the field.”