Cirencester crop biotech signs agreement to sell its fungicide product across Portugal and Benelux

Published by

Nicky Godding

Eden Research plc, the Cirencester-based AIM listed company that develops and supplies biopesticide products and natural microencapsulation technologies to the global crop protection, animal health and consumer products industries, has signed an agreement with Italy-based Sipcam Oxon which allows Sipcam to market, distribute and sell, on an exclusive basis, Eden's fungicide product, Mevaloneä, in Portugal and the Benelux region.

Under the Agreement, Eden, based at Poulton, just outside Cirencester, will supply and Sipcam will distribute Mevalone for use as a fungicide for grapes and minor crops in Portugal and the Benelux region (subject to regulatory clearance in the Benelux region)

Mevalone offers growers tremendous advantages by providing high levels of efficacy against important crop diseases.

Mevalone is formulated with Eden's Sustaineä encapsulation and delivery technology, a proven formulation solution for active ingredients that are challenging to use. Sustaine microcapsules are naturally sourced, plastic-free, biodegradable micro-spheres derived from yeast. The Sustaine technology has enabled the safe and effective use of Eden's registered active ingredients and those of third parties by improving bioactivity, controlling volatility and improving crop safety.

Sean Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Eden, said: "We are pleased to appoint Sipcam as our partner for Mevalone in Portugal and the Benelux region. Portugal in particular is a significant grape-growing country, and a key market for our product.

"It is expected that sales of Mevalone will commence in Portugal in the 2020 season, as marketing authorisation has already been received there. This is, therefore, a meaningful improvement in our commercial footprint. We are working with an established and experienced commercial partner to accelerate market penetration. Commercial activities will begin in the Benelux region following the receipt of regulatory clearance in these countries."

Stefano Cartacci, Director of Sipcam Oxon in Europe, said "We are pleased to extend to Sipcam Portugal and Sipcam BENELUX the cooperation with Eden on such a high performing product, taking advantage of the strong experience developed in Italy and Spain. Growers' lives get more complicated each day due to the rise of new pests and the reduction of effective solutions. Mevalone is a perfect fit to our strategy of bringing innovative solutions to the market, supporting growers in their modern challenges."

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.