Behind AMVAC’s Strategic Partnership With NewLeaf Symbiotics
Agribusiness Global recently reached out to Jim Thompson, Director of Business Development for GreenSolutions at AMVAC, to learn more about AMVAC and NewLeaf Symbiotic’s partnership — and what it means for making more biological products available in international markets.
ABG: With the extension of this partnership between AMVAC and NewLeaf, it looks like you’ll be targeting row crops in Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine, and China. Are your biological products being distributed to U.S. row crop growers?
Jim Thompson: Yes, AMVAC’s GreenSolutions portfolio already has a considerable presence in U.S. row crops. In fact, a slight majority of our total GreenSolutions business in the U.S. – approximately 55% – currently comes from row crops, with the balance from specialty crops. We believe this is a departure from many other biologicals suppliers which sell predominantly to specialty crop growers. A significant share of our portfolio in the U.S. comes through our partnership with NewLeaf Symbiotics and their PPFM technology. In late 2022, we launched BioWake, a dual-use biological seed lubricant for use in corn and soybean. Building on the success of that launch this past season, in November 2023, we announced our introduction of BioWake Prime, the newest addition to the BioWake family of products, to help corn growers safeguard against the damaging effects of corn rootworm Building on our initial success with BioWake in the U.S., we are now expanding our collaboration with NewLeaf to encompass other crucial international markets.
ABG: Will there be potential for new products that will be used for other crops, for example, wheat, rice, canola, and others?
JT: Yes, we will look to expand our GreenSolutions portfolio into all key crops. In addition to the aforementioned BioWake brands, AMVAC has other biological products in our portfolio such as B Sure and iNvigorate, which are currently being applied on several row crops, providing growers with a programmatic approach to increasing yield and improving their return on investment.
ABG: What challenges have you encountered when entering the markets in China, Argentina, Ukraine, and Brazil?
JT: The primary challenge for launching new products such as BioWake are the varying regulatory processes and timelines for each country, especially with the changing landscape of regulatory issues. When developing the business cases for each of these countries, it is critical to understand the timing and cost of the regulatory process. With AMVAC’s acquisitions of Agrinos (2020), AgNova Technologies in Australia (2020), and Greenplants and AgriCenter in Latin America (2017), we acquired existing commercial and regulatory teams in many of these countries. Our local teams are very adept at navigating the ongoing challenges in these markets. AMVAC’s existing presence in these countries is a benefit for NewLeaf and their technology, as we can hopefully enter these markets in the fastest way possible.
ABG: Do you eventually see this partnership entering Southeast Asia or Africa?
JT: Yes, as we continue to roll out products around the world, we will work very closely with NewLeaf and our other key partner, Low Mu Tech, to continue to develop new biological solutions for all markets. We are currently focused on the largest row crop markets, thus our decision to pursue the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, and Ukraine is top priority. We will continue to innovate and provide technology solutions utilizing the NewLeaf technology globally.
ABG: Where do you see the use of biologicals in the next 5 years?
JT: We see the steady adoption of biological products continuing for the next five years and beyond. The scientific rigor, combined with sizable investments into space, have ensured biologicals will be a long-term offering for growers. It is essential that biological products demonstrate continued efficacy and grower return on investment over multiple seasons. The industry has really evolved over the past five years to be able to show growers the true benefits of biologicals, and we expect the adoption rate to continue.
ABG: Is there any other important information you would like to add?
JT: In addition to our relationship with NewLeaf and Low Mu Tech for the BioWake portfolio, AMVAC prides itself on providing other technology solutions to our customers. For example, our SIMPAS precision application system is expanding into Brazil and Ukraine currently, while our U.S. footprint continues to grow with the SIMPAS system and SIMPAS-applied Solutions (SaS) portfolio. Our goal is to provide a suite of high-quality solutions to our customers comprised of our core proven chemistry products, our GreenSolutions portfolio, and our other technologies such as SIMPAS. Lastly, we want to provide the best service and support in the industry for all of our solutions.
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