Agricultural giant Bunge has decided to discontinue the industrial production of ammonia and ammonium thiosulfate at its plant in Campana, Buenos Aires province, affecting 110 employees who will be laid off.
Factory Operations and Market Pressures at Campana
The decision brings an end to local manufacturing of two essential products used in agricultural activity. Ammonia serves as a key input for the fertilizer industry, while ammonium thiosulfate acts as a nutrient source for crops, improving plant nutrition and yield.
Sources with knowledge of the decision explained that the company arrived at the determination after an extensive process of analysis and evaluation of various operational and commercial alternatives. Among the reasons cited were the infrastructure and technological limitations of a facility with more than 50 years of operation, alongside changes in market conditions and the sourcing of inputs.
The measure is limited exclusively to the industrial production of ammonia and ammonium thiosulfate at the Campana establishment. In that operation, the Association of Cooperative Argentines (ACA) participates associatively, holding a 17.5% share of the total production.
Did You Know? Production of ammonium thiosulfate at the Campana plant began in October 2004, following a history that dates back to its 1968 opening when it was pioneered by Petrosur before passing through several owners, including Pérez Companc (PECOM) and Petrobras, prior to Bunge Argentina’s acquisition in November 2009 for approximately 71 million dollars.
Labor Impact and Workforce Restructuring
A central element of the shutdown is the human toll on the plant’s 110 employees, whose jobs are tied directly to the manufacturing lines.
According to reports from the Sindicato del Personal Químico y Petroquímico de Zárate-Campana, the notice arrived without prior warning on a Monday afternoon around 17:00, catching employees and union leaders completely unawares. Union general secretary Oscar Casco stated that workers arriving for shifts had no inkling of the impending closures, noting that the enterprise had recently signed a collective bargaining agreement in May without raising financial distress.
The union outlined that the affected workforce includes 80 to 90 personnel under chemical union agreements alongside 25 to 30 administrative and off-agreement employees, augmented by external maintenance, cleaning, and security personnel. Local outlet accounts indicate that the factory gates were closed to block the night shift as telegrams of dismissal were dispatched.
Broader Agroindustrial Footprint in Argentina
Despite closing the Campana chemical lines, Bunge maintains a sprawling footprint across the country, where it has operated for more than 140 years. The firm employs roughly 4,500 workers across approximately 60 facilities nationwide, engaging in grain commercialization, soybean and sunflower milling, vegetable oil production, and fertilizer distribution.
Data from the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) shows the firm's dominance in the domestic grain trade. During the first semester of 2026, the company recorded 11.6 million tonnes in foreign sales declarations, the highest volume registered by any single exporter for that period in at least five years, capturing about 22% of the sector’s total declared shipments following its integration with Viterra.
The juxtaposition between Bunge’s grain export volumes and the shuttering of a chemical facility highlights a broader structural divergence within Argentina’s industrial sector. While primary agricultural exporting scales up on the back of integration—such as the Viterra merger—specialized chemical manufacturing faces headwinds from aging infrastructure and changing market supply chains, threatening employment in historic industrial corridors like Campana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific products were manufactured at the Campana plant?
The facility produced ammonia, which is a key input for nitrogen fertilizers, and ammonium thiosulfate, a liquid fertilizer used to supply nitrogen and sulfur to crops like wheat, corn, soybean, and sunflower.
How many workers are affected by the shutdown?
The measure directly affects 110 employees at the facility, though union estimates place the broader network of direct and indirect jobs impacted around 200 personnel.
Who else is involved in the Campana operations?
The Association of Cooperative Argentines (ACA) participates in the production process at the Campana establishment on an associative basis, accounting for a 17.5% share of the total output.
How will the local economy in Campana absorb these sudden industrial layoffs alongside recent closures in the region’s chemical sector?
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