To begin the second day of the 2013 Georgia Peanut Tour, attendees arrived at the DuPont Crop Protection facility in Valdosta, Ga. This particular facility produces crop protection materials such as fungicides for application on peanuts. The tour began in DuPont’s shipping and receiving area where ingredients are brought into the plant and finished products are shipped out. From there, attendees were able to visit the area of the plant where liquid formulation of fungicide takes place. At this particular DuPont plant, the fungicide Fontelis is manufactured. In the formulation room, dry ingredients are added to liquid ingredients and then milled and charged in large tanks. From there, the product travels through pipes to the packaging room where jugs are filled and labeled. In this room, it takes 45 seconds for the machines to fill three cycles worth of jugs. One cycle equals 6 jugs, so that means 18 jugs are filled in 45 seconds. Pretty impressive! To fill 180 gallons (approximately 72 jugs) and send them through packaging, it takes approximately 15 minutes. Employees are able to rely on precise ergonomic equipment that is being used throughout the formulation and packaging process to ensure accuracy and quality. Speaking of quality, DuPont prides itself on several ethical codes; two of them being quality and safety. Quality control and analysis is monitored throughout the entire production process. This includes formulation of the product and packaging of the product. As for safety, DuPont believes safety is important for not only customers of their product, but also for their employees working at the plant.
