What Orion Agriscience does

Orion Agriscience is a privately held, New Zealand-based supplier of crop protection and animal health products, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Christchurch. The company manufactures and distributes a focused portfolio of agricultural inputs including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, seed treatments, plant growth regulators, and slug and snail baits, with products formulated specifically for New Zealand conditions and pest pressures. Its product range includes differentiated formulations such as Dusk Slug and Snail Bait (an Iron EDTA complex with weather-resistance claims), PastureGibb (a gibberellic acid-based liquid plant growth regulator for pastures), and seed treatments including Acclaim, Capri, and Patrol.

The company's go-to-market model is B2B distribution through New Zealand's rural retail channel, selling to both local independent rural retailers and larger rural supplies companies rather than directly to farmers. Orion supports this channel with annual product catalogues, a dedicated mobile application for product information, and a brand presence built around NZ-specific formulation expertise. With 11-50 employees, Orion positions itself as a 'leading supplier' of crop protection products in the New Zealand market, addressing New Zealand arable, pastoral, and horticultural producers via the existing rural retail infrastructure. The business model is product-driven rather than platform- or software-driven, with revenue generated through unit sales of crop protection chemistry distributed via third-party retailers.

Name

Orion Agriscience

Legal name

Orion AgriScience

Website

https://orionagriscience.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orion Agriscience is a privately held New Zealand supplier of crop protection and animal health products, founded in 1999 and based in Christchurch. It distributes herbicides, fungicides, seed treatments, growth regulators, and baits through rural retailers to NZ farmers and growers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crop Protection Products

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain Protectants & Post-Harvest Insecticide Application (AFAOAIAF)

Keywords

• Crop protection products
• Agricultural chemicals
• Herbicides fungicides
• Seed treatment products
• Pest control solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Crop Protection Products: Sale of crop protection products including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, and seed treatments to New Zealand farmers and growers through rural retailers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Orion AgriScience manufactures and supplies crop protection products including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, and seed treatments designed for New Zealand agricultural conditions. Products are distributed through independent rural retailers and larger rural supplies companies to help farmers and growers combat weed, disease, and insect pest problems in crops and pasture.

Product overview

Orion AgriScience is a portfolio of crop protection products rather than a unified software platform. The product line spans five core categories: Herbicides (including Corsair™), Insecticides (Acclaim™ seed treatment), Fungicides (ten products including Blizzard™ 720SC, Saprol®, Compass®, Manco™, Pilot™ 250EC, Convoy™, Carafe™, Kando 5LT, and Pro-P™), Seed Treatments (Acclaim™, Capri™, and Patrol™), and Other/Specialty products (including the growth regulator PastureGibb™ Liquid and slug/snail bait Dusk™). These products are designed for New Zealand agricultural conditions and distributed through independent rural retailers and larger rural supply companies, addressing weed, disease, and insect pest problems in crops and pasture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Corsair: Herbicide product for broadleaf weed control in pasture
• Align
• Dusk
• PastureGibb
• Blizzard
• Carafe
• Compass
• Convoy
• Kando
• Manco
• Pilot
• Pro-P
• Saprol
• Acclaim
• Capri
• Patrol

Products and services

• Corsair™ Herbicide Herbicide containing 490 g/litre 2,4-D as the dimethylamine salt and 10.4 g/litre of flumetsulam, formulated for the control of broadleaf weeds in pasture. Available in 20 litre and 200 litre pack sizes.
• Align™ Growth Regulator Growth regulator product for agricultural use to manage plant growth in New Zealand farming operations.
• Dusk™ Slug and Snail Bait Iron EDTA complex 54 g/kg granular slug bait with weather-resistant formulation providing outstanding safety and environmental profile for enhanced durability and coverage in pasture and crop settings.
• PastureGibb™ Liquid Plant Growth Regulator Gibberellic acid 900 g/kg formulation that stimulates additional pasture growth for New Zealand farmers and growers.
• Acclaim™ Seed Treatment Insecticide 600 g/l imidacloprid seed treatment insecticide for use on cereal, forage brassicas, grass, maize, sweetcorn, potato, pumpkin and water squash seeds.
• Capri™ Seed Treatment Fungicide Tebuconazole 25 g/l seed treatment for control of loose and stinking smut (bunt) of wheat and loose and covered smut of barley and oats.
• Patrol™ Seed Treatment Insecticide 600 g/l clothianidin suspension concentrate seed treatment for use on cereals, forage brassicas, grass, maize and sweetcorn seeds.
• Blizzard™ 720SC Fungicide Chlorothalonil 720 g/l fungicide for broad-spectrum disease control in crops.
• Carafe™ Fungicide Fungicide product for crop disease control.
• Compass® Fungicide Tebuconazole 430 g/l fungicide for crop disease management.
• Convoy™ Fungicide Fungicide product for agricultural disease control.
• Kando™ 5LT Fungicide Fungicide product for crop protection.
• Manco™ 75WG Fungicide Mancozeb-based fungicide (75WG formulation) for broad-spectrum crop disease control.
• Pilot™ 250EC Fungicide Procymidone 250 g/l emulsifiable concentrate fungicide for crop disease control.
• Pro-P™ Fungicide Fungicide product for crop disease management.
• Saprol® Fungicide Triforine 190 g/l systemic eradicant and protective fungicide of the DMI group, active against various fungal diseases on cucurbits, fruit and ornamentals.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Nufarm: Australia-based crop protection company with comparable herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides serving Australasian growers through rural retail channels. Closest geographic and product-line peer to Orion AgriScience.
• FMC Corporation: Global crop protection specialist selling insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides through agricultural distribution — direct product-category and channel overlap with Orion.
• Adama: Global off-patent crop protection manufacturer offering herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides through agricultural retailers — same product categories, same channel model as Orion.
• UPL Limited: India-headquartered global crop protection company distributing a broad portfolio of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and seed treatments via local reseller networks — directly comparable business model and product mix.

Regional players

• PGG Wrightson: Major NZ agribusiness retailer and supplier operating in pastoral, arable, horticulture, and rural supplies — overlapping end customer base with Orion and a likely overlapping NZ retail footprint.
• Farmlands Co-operative: NZ farmer-owned rural supplies co-operative that is one of Orion's listed distribution partners. Operates in the same end-customer segment (NZ farmers and growers) as Orion, making it a directly comparable regional distribution peer.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Crop Science: Multinational agrochemical and seed giant whose crop protection portfolio competes head-to-head with Orion across herbicides, fungicides, and seed treatments, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Syngenta: Global crop protection and seeds leader with overlapping herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide lines sold through rural retailers worldwide. Competes with Orion for farmer share in NZ-adjacent markets.
• Corteva Agriscience: Multinational agriscience company offering herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and seed treatments — direct category overlap with Orion, though broader portfolio and global R&D base.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global chemical company with a substantial crop protection division spanning fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides — competes with Orion through similar active ingredients and distribution channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OrionAgriscienceLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orion Agriscience