Cibus and Interoc Advance Rice Commercialization Strategy for Herbicide-Tolerant Traits in Key Markets across Latin America
Cibus, Inc., a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses plant traits to seed companies, and Interoc, a leading provider of agricultural solutions in Latin America, today announced the execution of a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI). The non-binding LOI establishes a potential framework for the commercialization of co-developed herbicide-tolerant (HT) rice traits in key rice-producing markets across Latin America.
The non-exclusive agreement contemplated by the LOI would mark a significant progression toward full commercialization from the companies’ research and development collaboration announced in January 2024. Under the terms of the existing material transfer agreement, Cibus successfully integrated HT traits into Interocs’ elite rice germplasm which is advancing to real-world field evaluations.
“The full commercial agreement contemplated by the LOI represents the progression of our collaboration from its successful development phase into commercial execution,” said Peter Beetham, Ph.D., Co-founder and Interim CEO of Cibus. “With the technical foundation in place, we are now advancing the commercial framework for placing this critical weed-management technology into the hands of the region’s rice growers. Interoc’s deep market footprint in Latin America makes them an ideal partner to drive adoption in these highly productive rice markets.”
The LOI anticipates that Interoc will market high-performing rice hybrids and varieties for the Latin American market developed using Cibus’ Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS™). The planned program will leverage herbicide tolerance traits to address critical weed and resistance management needs, aiming to improve yields in a region where productivity is increasingly challenged by resistant weeds, including weedy rice.
“Growers in Latin America are in urgent need of new tools to manage resistant weeds and protect yields,” said Fernando De La Puente Corporate Vice President, at Interoc. “This LOI with Cibus positions us to expand our trait portfolio and move aggressively to market. Modern new genomic techniques like gene editing are enabling a new era of productivity in farming, and by combining our elite genetics with Cibus’ pioneering technologies, we are advancing our sustainable development goal of improving productivity for farmers across the region.”
Under the terms of the LOI, Cibus and Interoc intend to negotiate in good faith toward a definitive licensing and marketing agreement pursuant to which commercial sales would be initiated in Ecuador and Colombia in 2027. Following this anticipated initial launch, the companies are planning a phased expansion into Peru, Central America and the Caribbean, including Panama, Bolivia, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Costa Rica. The companies share a strategic objective of achieving robust market share in the regions where the HT trait is commercialized targeting trait adoption on an accelerated basis.
Rice is one of Cibus’ lead crops and the first traits for this market are two distinct herbicide tolerances, HT1 and HT3. The performance of both traits has already been assessed by Cibus in multi-location field trials across multiple seasons in the United States, allowing for the rapid advancement of the traits within Interoc’s rice germplasm.
Interoc is a company that, through a developed and highly motivated team, provides innovative solutions for agriculture and industry in Latin America. Their clients derive satisfaction and trust from the effectiveness of their service and their commitment to sustainability. Together with Interoc, Cibus believes that they can help address some of the most pressing weed management challenges of Latin America rice growers.
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