SDS Biotech sales down 11% in nine-month

Sales of Japanese agrochemical company SDS Biotech reached Yen 6,197 million ($78.1 million at the current rate) in the first nine months of 2012 ended 30th September, down by 10.6% compared with same period of last year. The company suffered an operating loss of Yen 72 million ($903,000) compared with an operation profit of Yen 208 million ($3 million) of last year.

Sales of fungicides in nine-month were Yen 2,528 million ($32 million), down Yen 433 million ($5.5 million) or 14.6% from the same quarter in the previous year. This was mainly caused by a decline in sales of daconil products for overseas markets due to intensifying price competition with generic daconil products.

Paddy herbicide sales were Yen 2,012 million ($25 million), down Yen 325 million (($4.1 million)) or 13.9% due to a decrease in shipments of daimuron technical products for Japan and a delay in shipments of benzobicyclon technical products for overseas markets.

Greenery-related products sales reached Yen 1,078 million ($14 million), down Yen 66 million ($831,600) or 5.8% mainly due to a decline of plant growth regulators for tobacco caused by a decrease in crop acreage of tobacco in Japan, and to a sale decline of karbutilate products (technical and formulation). Meanwhile, sales of dacthal technical products for overseas markets grew steadily.

Sales of insecticides rose by 24.4% to Yen 429 million ($5 million) due to an increase in shipments of nematicide. And sales of other products increased slightly by 3.9% to Yen 147 million ($2 million) in the first nine months. SDS Biotech maintained the forecasts for the fiscal year 2012 of a 6.1% decline in sales to Yen 10,500 million ($132 million) and a 7.5% increase in operating income to Yen 910 million ($11 million).