AgroPages-Cultiva Announces New South American Distribution Partnership with Arysta-Agricultural news

Cultiva®, manufacturer of Parka®, the industry’s first patented food-grade cuticle supplement used to protect cherries, apples, grapes, blueberries and other premium fruit throughout the world, announces a distribution partnership with Arysta LifeScience Chile. Arysta LifeScience is a global provider of crop protection and yield-enhancing products in more than 60 countries with South American offices in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.

“Since 2014, Cultiva has experienced rapid sales growth in Chile,” says Luis Hernandez, Cultiva CEO. “Our new partnership with Arysta LifeScience will enable us to make our products available to more fruit growers in South America. Growers in Chile, like others around the world who use Parka, have been able to dramatically reduce cuticle damage such as cracking or sunburn. Parka supplements the strength of natural cuticle layer around the fruit to provide enhanced protection from damage caused by rain, water uptake, and harmful UV radiation. Unlike wax coatings, Parka exhibits unique elastic properties which allow its protection to grow along with the fruit. By mitigating external and internal disorders that result from rainfall and environmental stress, Parka helps growers maximize fruit quality and marketable yields.”

Cultiva partnered with Oregon State University nearly a decade ago to launch the agricultural industry’s first ever food-grade cuticle supplement for premium fruit production. The company has taken an industry leading role in educating growers and crop consultants about how the cuticle impacts fruit yields, fruit quality, and decreases the need for crop protection chemicals. The company is also presently investigating how Parka can increase shelf life in food storage facilities and grocery stores.

“For Arysta LifeScience Chile, it´s a privilege to add Parka to our product portfolio,” says Ignacio Reyes, Arysta LifeScience. “Parka is a leading product in its global niche. This lines up with our policy of adding more products to our portfolio that are environmentally friendly with zero polluting residual. It's also a key product in our solutions for the cherry market, one of our leading markets. With Parka we will deliver a much more powerful package of possibilities.”