December 24, 2004
 
 
Shanghai to Launch Commercial Production of Heat-Resistant Phytase
 

China's Shanghai Yongye Agro-Bioengineering Co, Ltd has reportedly completed its medium-scale laboratory test for producing an environmentally safe feed enzyme - phytase. According to market sources, Shanghai Yongye has transferred the newly-developed production technology to Guangdong Zhaoqing Star Lake Co Ltd and the heat-resistant phytase products are available in the market now.

Phytase is widely regarded as an environmentally safe enzyme for feed production. Analysts say that market demand for heat-resistant phytase is expected to constitute a substantial share of the global enzyme markets in the future. According to industry source, 60% of the world's complete feed are pellet feed and about 80% of these are produced requiring treatment of high temperatures at 80-90 degree Celsius. The global market potential of heat-resistant phytase is estimated to be around RMB2 billion.

Given the far lower cost in China relative to similar products produced overseas, Shanghai Yongye Agro-Bioengineering Co's heat-resistant phytase is likely to pose strong competition in the global markets. As a form of feed additive and a substitute for inorganic phosphorous in animal feed, phytase helps to cut down phosphorous excretion among animals by 30%-50%, and helps save pellet feed production costs of about RMB7/ton.

For its pioneering efforts in commercial production of heat-resistant phytase, the project has been awarded a "First Class Technological Progress Award" in Shanghai.