Clariant launches first dedicated pigment range for agricultural seeds

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, launches its new Agrocer® pigments for seed coloration – the first dedicated range of colorants for the agricultural industry. The unique offering will ease color choice and purchasing for seed companies and manufacturers of seed treatment products, in particular those looking to differentiate their brand amid growing competition in this highly-attractive market.

High yielding seeds and efficient seed treatments play an important role in meeting the demand for agricultural products to serve the growing world population. The seed treatment product sector is one of the fastest growing segments of the agrochemical industry. The Agrocer range currently consists of the five most popular pigments in powder form used to color treated seeds: Agrocer Red 482; Agrocer Red 112; Agrocer Blue 153; Agrocer Green 007; Agrocer Violet 023. The high-quality pigments are straightforward to apply at any treatment stage and can also be used in fertilizers and pesticide products.

The economic range features selected pigments from Clariant’s established pigments portfolio with global product specifications that meet the requirements of the agrochemical, seed and fertilizer industry. The majority of Agrocer products include pigments that are tolerance exempted under 40 CFR § 180.920 allowing their use in seed treatment formulations in all major markets.

Clariant plans to extend the range with more colorants and Agrocer disp. pigment preparations during 2013, creating new opportunities for manufacturers to use color as a branding tool.

“Seed coloration is becoming more and more important, not just for caution identification purposes but as a way of improving brand awareness in a market that is strongly growing and where an increasing number of innovative product offerings are constantly being developed, ” comments Markus Furrer, Vice President Global Marketing & Sales Plastics and Special Applications . “Our launch of a globally available dedicated pigment range will better serve the needs, especially of our global customers, by offering high-quality, cost-efficient pigments, meeting all necessary product safety requirements for this sustainable application field.”