Syngenta and Bioceres Collaborate on Crops
Swiss-based and Chinese-owned agrochemicals company Syngenta has entered into a global commercial and R&D collaboration with Bioceres, a US-based provider of biological inoculants. Implementation of the agreement is subject to regulatory clearances.
Under the terms of the agreement, Syngenta Seedcare will become the exclusive global commercialization distributor for Bioceres’ biological seed treatment solutions, except in Argentina where they will continue to collaborate under a framework that has been in place for more than 20 years.
The companies intend to expand their cooperation in key markets such as Brazil and China, as well as in other world regions, and will collaborate long term to develop new products, while also accelerating the registration of those already in the pipeline.
However, Bioceres will retain global rights to use its biological solutions on crops modified with its drought-tolerant HB4 trait. The portfolio of Marrone Bio Innovations, acquired by Bioceres in March 2022 and commercialized by its subsidiary ProFarm Group, is also outside the scope of the deal with Syngenta.
“The agreement with Bioceres furthers our strategy to provide growers with more complementary choices to manage pest resistance and improve crop health. We draw strengths from our longstanding relationship with Bioceres and are fully committed to providing growers with more sustainable innovations to further improve seed health,” said Jonathan Brown, global head of Syngenta Seedcare.
Bioceres said its R&D pipeline is mostly focused on developing biological products that help improve crop performance, while reducing environmental impact, including the carbon footprint of agricultural activities. The company discovers, develops and commercializes biotech traits, bio-fungicides, bio-stimulants, inoculants, soybean and wheat seed varieties, as well as products that improve the efficiency of adjuvants and micro-beaded fertilizers, by combining them with biological inputs.
According to the companies, the global biological seeds treatment market is projected to grow from $600 million in 2020 to $1.6 billion by 2030.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
