United Phosphorus (pictured, left) will take over manufacturing, distribution and sales of the products. It will begin sales on October 1st 2007. Until then, DuPont (pictured, right) will act as an agent for United Phosphorus and its subsidiaries worldwide for these products

United Phosphorus has acquired DuPont's acaricide, fenbutatin oxide, and its contact fungicide, fentin hydroxide (triphenyltin). The worldwide deal includes the Vendex acaricide range, the Super Tin fungicide range and associated trademarks for use in crop and non-crop sectors, including turf, nursery, ornamentals and aquatics. Financial terms were not disclosed.

United Phosphorus will take over manufacturing, distribution and sales of the products. It will begin sales on October 1st 2007. Until then, DuPont will act as an agent for United Phosphorus and its subsidiaries worldwide for these products.

Fenbutatin oxide is one of the main organotin acaricides used on crops such as citrus and pome fruit, United Phosphorus says. Fentin is used mainly on potatoes, sugar beet and pecan nuts. Both products will strengthen United Phosphorus' position in the fruit, nut, vegetable and row crop markets, it notes. The company's presence in these sectors was "significantly" enhanced in 2006 with the acquisition of Cerexagri (Agrow No 508, p 1), which has a long-standing marketing alliance with DuPont for fentin, United Phosphorus adds.

This is United Phosphorus' second acquisition of DuPont active ingredients. Last year, the Indian company purchased the rice and aquatic weed herbicide, bensulfuron-methyl (Agrow No 505, p 4). The latest deal continues United Phosphorus' aggressive acquisition programme of 2006, which included: Dow AgroSciences' herbicide, propanil; Bayer CropScience's herbicide, asulam, and its insecticides, oxydemeton-methyl and trichlorfon; the South African agrochemical distributor, Cropserve; and the seed company, Advanta Netherlands Holdings (Agrow passim).

The two divested products make up a "very small" percentage of DuPont's crop protection business, the company notes. The deal is part of DuPont's strategy to bring greater focus to its business, says James Collins, vice-president and general manager of DuPont Crop Protection. Divesting the products allows the company to put more resources into new products, such as the insecticide, Rynaxypyr (chlorantraniliprole - Agrow No 513, p 17), and new herbicides for the herbicide tolerance Optimum GAT technology (Agrow No 522, p 4) in maize and soybeans, he says. Rynaxypyr will be sold worldwide under the brand names, Altacor, Coragen and Prevathon.

Back to the top