BASF has increased the combined peak annual sales potential of its range of new active ingredients by €400 million ($518 million at the current rate) to €2,800 million ($3,625 million). The upward revision comes mainly through a €300 million ($388 million) rise in the peak annual potential for the fungicide, pyraclostrobin (trade-marked as F 500), which has been moved up to €1,000 million ($1,295 million). In addition, several projects from early research have been promoted to development ...
Sumitomo Chemical’s US biopesticide and biorational products subsidiary, Valent BioSciences (Libertyville, Illinois), held an event in Osage, Iowa this month to invite sub-contractors to bid for work in the construction of its $146 million fermentation facility. That followed the granting of a building permit on January 3rd. Ground-breaking is scheduled to start on March 16th, with construction taking another two years. The plant is due to come on stream in mid-2014.
The Osage facility will be ...
The US genomics company, Precision BioSciences (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina), has formed a subsidiary, Precision PlantSciences, to focus on the development and use of its DNE (Directed Nuclease Editor) technology for agricultural applications. It is used to create site-specific modifications in plant genomes. The company has licensed the technology to DuPont, Bayer CropScience and BASF (Agrow No 604, p 23). Precision and Bayer recently reported the first site-specific insertion using ...
BASF is to shift the headquarters of its plant biotechnology operations to the US and cease commercialisation of genetically modified crops aimed specifically at the European market.
The move reflects the negative attitude to biotechnology in Europe. “We are convinced that plant biotechnology is a key technology for the 21st century. However, there is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe – from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians,” says BASF ...
