Mitsui acquires DuPont's Kocide® and ManKocide® copper fungicide business

Certis Europe’s parent company, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. reached agreement with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company ("DuPont") on 19 August to acquire its global Kocide® and ManKocide® copper fungicide business assets. Following the closing on 1 December, Certis Europe will take on the distribution of the Kocide® and ManKocide® brands in its European territories. 

Kocide® copper fungicides are important fungal and bacterial disease management tools and are registered for use in more than 75 countries globally and in all major regions of the world.  The most important crops for copper fungicides are grapes, citrus, olives, vegetables and fruits.
Mark Waltham, CEO of Certis Europe, welcomed this development and emphasised the strategic fit and the commercial opportunities it brings for the company: 

“This major acquisition by Mitsui’s Agri Science Division offers Certis Europe a significant addition to our diverse product range. The crops where copper fungicides are used represent a key part of our business in Southern Europe,” he explained.” We are excited to be adding Kocide to our portfolio because it fits very well with our strategic focus on the speciality crop sector and will make an important contribution to our growth strategy in that region, specifically in Spain, Italy and France.”

Under its wholly owned subsidiary Mitsui AgriScience International USA, Mitsui established Kocide LLC which will acquire DuPont’s copper fungicide business assets. As part of the transaction, Mitsui will acquire DuPont Crop Protection’s global copper fungicide trademarks (including the DuPont™ Kocide® and ManKocide® brands); product registrations; registration data; manufacturing know-how (including process patents); certain third-party contracts; and DuPont’s Houston, Texas, copper fungicide production facility.

DuPont will, under the agreement, continue to sell Kocide® within the Asia Pacific region for a maximum period of five years. Elsewhere, the DuPont copper fungicide products will be sold through Mitsui’s existing distribution channels including Certis in Europe and the America’s.

Mitsui’s acquisition of DuPont’s Kocide business will strengthen its existing position in manufacture of copper fungicides at Spiess Urania in Germany. By the acquisition Mitsui aims to achieve synergies between the operations of Kocide LLC and Spiess Urania and further enhance its competitiveness in the global agrochemical market.