ISK eyes four-fold sales expansion for its fungicide in Brazil

Ishihara sangyo Kaisha, or ISK, is targeting more than quadrupling sales in 2014, compared with the 2007 volume, for its Fluazinam potato fungicide to control Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brazil’s soybean plantations and will be having its contract manufacturer in the Americas ramp up production starting in 2011.

The combined sales of Fluazinam amounted to 9.7 bn yen($114) in fiscal 2009. In the Americas, Including Brazil, it is used to protect potatoes and dry beans from pests but sales in the region are smaller than in Europe.

According to an agricultural research institute in Brazil, the fungus is predicted to affect 3 mn ha of Brazil’s between 2008 and 2010. Fluazinam is highly effective against this fungus, and there are few other effectual fungicides, so demand is surging.

The Company plans to raise Fluazinam’s share of the Brazilian market to 50%, thereby boosting markedly agrochemical sales in the Americas.

Its agrochemical business generated sales of 42.4 bn yen in 2009, with the Americas, including Brazil, Contributing 16% of the total, third after Europe, with 40%, and Japan, with 30%. They dropped 14% years on year due to sluggishness in European sales but Fluazinam sales in the Americas surged some 80%.