AgBiTech’s Biological Solution Approved on Emergency Basis
27 August 2013 Australian-based AgBiTech Pty. Ltd. is helping Brazil take control of a nationwide outbreak of the insect Helicoverpa armigera, which destroyed major crops in Brazil in the summer 2012/13 season. Resulting ag-production losses totaled $5 billion, despite farmers spraying with traditional insecticides and using insect-resistant GM crop varieties.
A delegation of Brazilian farmers approached AgBiTech looking for a product to manage Helicoverpa. Chief Executive Officer Anthony Hawes said AgBiTech had extensive experience helping Australian farmers control Helicoverpa.
AgBiTech’s biological control for Helicoverpa, marketed in Brazil as HzNPV CCAB, introduces a naturally occurring insect virus that specifically targets and progressively suppresses Helicoverpa without affecting other insect populations. Manufactured to food-grade standard, the product is harmless to the environment, animals and humans.
“Through our partner CCAB-Agro, AgBiTech gained emergency regulatory approval and began exporting to Brazil in July,” said Hawes. “We’re experiencing an overwhelming demand from growers and we expect a significant percentage of Brazil’s major summer crops, including soybean and cotton, will be sprayed with AgBiTech’s product.”
“Our entry into the South American market was unanticipated, but it’s proving to be a phenomenal opportunity,” said Hawes. “Brazil alone ranks among the top five countries in the world for agricultural output, with the top 20 crops worth more than $200 billion.”
AgBiTech expects to secure registration of its baculovirus-based biological control for Helicoverpa in the U.S. in early 2014. It is working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture to develop a similar solution for the insect pest Spodoptera frugiperda. The company has also flagged a potential 2015 entry into key European markets.
Get The Newsletter Today!
