​Brazilian biological pesticides market is strategic for Nufarm, say executives

Australian Nufarm stated that in the coming years it will also invest heavily in the organic pesticides market. The company was one of the highlights of the exhibition Biocontrol Latam 2016, the main global event in this segment, held in recent days in the city of Campinas, in the interior of the State of São Paulo. At the time, Nufarm also informed that it began distributing the Armigen and Xentari bioinsecticides in Brazil.

Nufarm's marketing executive director, Vitor Raposo, declared during the Biocontrol Latam that the growth of the organic products market will be due to the increase in demand for agricultural items of organic origin, as well as the need for agribusiness to add sustainability to production chains.

“Using conventional and biological pesticides alternately prolongs the durability of both technologies, by preventing insect pests from acquiring resistance to such active ingredients,” reported Raposo.

Nufarm's insecticides and fungicides manager, Murilo Borges, highlighted that Nufarm's goal in the biological pesticides market is to invest both in product development and in training the distribution channel. “The company will invest in the training of technical teams and distributors, to provide farmers with adequate support in managing these innovative products”, emphasized Borges.

According to Borges, Nufarm's first steps in the Brazilian biological market were successful. “The sales indicators for our two products of this type are increasing”, summarized the executive.

Formulated based on the HzNPV virus, Armigen is recommended for controlling caterpillars of the genera Helicoverpa and Heliothis, while Xentari applies to caterpillars of different species, such as those of the genus spodoptera. “Xentari is based on the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai, made up of proteins with different profiles that contribute to the management of caterpillars and the protection of Bt biotechnologies in genetically modified varieties of soybeans, corn and cotton”, explained Murilo Borges.

According to data released this year by consultancy MarketsandMarkets, the global market for organic agricultural products is expected to be worth around US$10 billion and growing at an average rate of 14,5% per year until 2020. In addition to insecticides, the sector includes biopesticides , biofertilizers and biostimulants, for application in cereals, seeds, oilseeds, legumes, fruits, vegetables and other items.

An Australian company, present in Brazil for 55 years, Nufarm offers innovative and competitive solutions to rural producers. Founded in the city of Melbourne, it currently operates in more than 100 countries, employs around 8 people and sells a portfolio made up of 000 high-tech active ingredients. In Brazil, Nufarm maintains a manufacturing unit in the municipality of Maracanaú (CE), in addition to eight distribution centers located in the states of Bahia, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná, São Paulo and Tocantins. www.nufarm.com/BR