MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Bee Vectoring Technologies International, Inc (BVT) (TSXV:BEE) announced today that it has submitted registration documents in Switzerland for its proprietary active ingredient, Clonostachys rosea CR-7 for use against fungal diseases in production agriculture.
Switzerland uses approximately CDN$40 million/year in chemical fungicides where growers are increasingly seeking non-chemical alternatives and represents the company’s beachhead into Europe. The entire European fungicide and insecticide market is approximately CDN $9.0 billion, of which approximately CDN$1.0 billion is a target for BVT’s bee delivery system.
“Growers in Europe face a great number of restrictions on chemical pesticide use, said Ashish Malik, CEO of Bee Vectoring Technologies. “Products such as ours, have both the advantage of being biologic as well as fitting nicely with European practices for sustainable and precision agriculture.”
Swiss growers are early adopters of the most advanced technologies and the Swiss registration scheme allows for a relatively fast approval, within a year, for registration dossiers which are deemed to be complete.
“We are excited by the interest in our product which has led to active discussions with two possible partners concurrent with preparing an independent go-to-market option,” said Christoph Lehnen, Business Manager, Europe (pictured here carrying the Swiss regulatory submission).
BVT will initially target crops that require pollination and are susceptible to diseases such as botrytis, such as strawberries and tomatoes. Application of Clonostachys rosea CR-7 before pathogens infect the plant, not only controls disease, but can improve plant vigor as well as quality and yield at harvest.
The BVT system uses bumble bees to carry product directly to key areas of target plants in doses significantly lower than traditional spray applications. Additionally, using bees to deliver the product allows growers to reduce their consumption of water and diesel.
About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.:
BVT has developed and owns patent-pending bee vectoring technology that is designed to harmlessly utilize bumble bees and honey bees as natural delivery mechanisms for a variety of powdered mixtures comprised of organic compounds that inhibit or control common crop diseases, while at the same time enhancing crop vigor and productivity. This unique and proprietary process enables a targeted delivery of crop controls using the simple process of bee pollination to replace traditional crop spraying, resulting in better yields, superior quality, and less impact on the environment without the use of water or disruptions to labor.
Source : beevt