FMC Signs Herbicide Agreement with Japan’s Kumiai

Posted by |19 March 2012

FMC Corporation and Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., have agreed to evaluate a new herbicide discovered by Kumiai for potential global development and commercialization.

Kumiai and Ihara Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., located in Japan, discovered the chemistry in their research labs. Kumiai is partnering with FMC to evaluate and develop the commercial potential for the new herbicide. The companies will evaluate the chemistry on a number of global crops and weed problems in the coming years.

“Our relationship with Kumiai is an extremely important one for FMC’s agricultural business, and I am delighted to be working with Kumiai on this new active ingredient, and we expect to progress rapidly in our evaluations,” said Milton Steele, president of FMC Agricultural Products Group in a statement. “The chemistry is a new herbicide that offers the potential to address some of the emerging herbicide resistance problems that farmers all over the world are experiencing.”

Dr. Eisuke Ishihara, president of Kumiai added, “Working with a proven partner such as FMC on the evaluation and potential development of this new chemistry is a sign of our company’s vision to maximize the value of our rich chemistry pipeline, through appropriate and strategic global partnerships. Collaborating with FMC and their growing innovation and commercial organization will help us supply new and innovative products to the global crop protection industry.”

Source: FMC Corporation, Edited by Stefanie A. Toth, Online Editor