AgraQuest expands biopesticide program
“On average, we've experienced roughly 30% of growth, year over year,” notes Sarah Reiter of AgraQuest.
She says that their growth is partly a reflection of demand for their core products of biopesticides.
“Demand for sustainable agriculture solutions has increased and seems to have been made more permanent in the way that everybody has been thinking about serving their customers,” she notes.
An advantage of their products is that they are naturally-inspired, which means they are derived from plants or naturally-occurring micro-organisms, says Reiter.
“We find beneficial bacteria and we ferment them, much like brewers do with beer and wine,” she explains. “When the microbial bacterial agents are in the fermentation process, as part of their respiration, they make metabolites, some of which are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal or anti-insecticidal.”
AgraQuest manages the fermentation process to produce biopesticides to suit different situations.
“What growers buy are the chemicals that have been produced by these beneficial micro-organisms,” she says. “It's like having a little chemical factory in a jug.”
The growth in popularity of their 'little factories' over the past few years has been substantial. Reiter notes that they've expanded to more than 30 countries, are in the process of expanding several marquee biopesticides to Europe and have inaugurated an expanded research and development plant in Davis, California.
And with the planned release of five new crop protection products over the next few years, Reiter notes that their growth doesn't show signs of slowing.
“It's a very exciting time,” she says.
For more information:
Sarah Reiter
AgraQuest Inc.
Tel: +1 (530) 750-0150 ext. 144
Mob: +1 (530) 400-3699
[email protected]
www.agraquest.com