Nihon Nohyaku : NARO Plant Hospital and Nihon Nohyaku Enter into a Capital Alliance — A Partnership Toward a New Stage of Business Expansion —

January 26, 2026

Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd. (President: Hiroyuki Iwata) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a capital alliance with NARO Plant Hospital Co., Ltd. (NAROPH), a certified startup launched by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).

Through this alliance, the NICHINO Group will integrate its expertise in crop protection (pest control technologies), smart agriculture, and residue analysis with NAROPH's advanced plant pest and disease diagnostics and R&D capabilities based on NARO's research outcomes, as well as with the logistics and supply-chain development strengths of the other investing company. This will strengthen an integrated framework that encompasses inspection, pest control, and distribution.

This collaboration will advance field-level pest and disease control technologies and accelerate their practical implementation, including the expediting and advancement of export phytosanitary inspections. It will thereby contribute to the realization of sustainable agriculture and enhancing Japan's agricultural competitiveness in global markets.

In recent years, climate change and shifts in global food supply and demand have increased pest and disease risks on farms. Achieving the government's target of ¥5 trillion in exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods by 2030 requires faster and more sophisticated export quarantine procedures. To address these challenges, we will promote the following initiatives:

• Development and advancement of plant pest and disease inspection technologies

• Collaboration in smart agriculture for pest and disease control (Integration of sensing, decision support, and residue analysis)

• Expansion of agricultural exports by accelerating and upgrading export quarantine and pesticide residue analysis in coordination with efficient logistics

• Building new value chains in the agricultural sector

  Significance of the Capital Alliance
  • Accelerating the Deployment of Smart Agriculture

    By integrating our AI-based diagnostic solutions for pests, diseases, and weeds with the consulting capabilities of NAROPH, we will strengthen end-to-end decision support for growers. This collaboration will help reduce operational burdens and improve crop quality and yield stability.

  • Building Synergies in Testing Services

    Through expanded reciprocal services between our Group's pesticide residue and heavy metal analysis capabilities and NAROPH's export-related phytosanitary services, we will establish a faster and more reliable analysis framework.

  • Advancing and Standardizing Pest Control Technologies

    Leveraging our long-standing expertise and R&D capabilities, we will advance and standardize Integrated Pest Management (IPM) based on verified diagnostic and field data, enhancing resilience against rising pest and disease risks.

  • Strengthening Export Competitiveness

    In collaboration with other investing companies with supply-chain expertise, we will integrate logistics with testing services-including export phytosanitary inspections and residue analysis-to improve execution capabilities in speed, cost efficiency, and quality, supporting the export of high-quality agricultural products.

  • Supporting ESG and Sustainable Implementation

By reducing losses from pests and weeds, promoting the proper use of crop protection products and residue management, and advancing smart agriculture, we will contribute to food security and a reduced environmental impact.

The NICHINO Group will further deepen its partnership with NAROPH and drive technological innovation toward the realization of sustainable agriculture. Through these efforts, we aim to reduce burdens on producers, stabilize yields, and improve quality, thereby creating new value that contributes to higher producer income and enhances Japan's agricultural competitiveness in global markets. In parallel, we will broaden their technical collaboration and accelerate the delivery of solutions that address social challenges and advance industry development.

• NARO Plant Hospital Co., Ltd.

  Address: 2-1-18 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan Established: January 2024

  Business: Plant disease diagnostics; R&D on pest and disease control technologies; agricultural support services

  Representative Director & CEO : Kenji Kamiyama URL: https://naroph.jp

• Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd. (NICHINO Group) Address: 1-19-8 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan Established: 1928

Business: R&D, manufacturing, and sales of crop protection products; development of smart-agriculture solutions

Representative Director & President : Hiroyuki Iwata URL: https://www.nichino.co.jp

• Contact

General Affairs & Legal Department, Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd. TEL: +81-570-09-1177

E-mail: [email protected]

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