Lavie Bio and United Agronomy announce signing of distribution agreement for Lavie Bio's inoculant product

Lavie Bio Ltd. (Lavie), a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN)  (TASE: EVGN), and a leading ag-biologicals company focusing on improving food quality, sustainability, and agriculture productivity through the introduction of microbiome-based products, and United Agronomy (UA), a full-service retailer of crop inputs, including seeds, inoculants, fertilizers, and chemicals, announce today that they have entered into a distribution agreement, initially for spring wheat, for LAV.211, a Lavie developed inoculant.  Under the terms of the agreement, LAV.211 will be distributed through UA's marketing channels in North Dakota, USA as part of UA's robust product offering, which includes top certified seed varieties and preferred seed treatments.  The parties expect that initial marketing and commercialization activity will target the 2022 spring wheat season, in North Dakota.

LAV.211 is a microbial based inoculant, that has been designed to empower plant performance based on its ability to improve the uptake and assimilation of nutrients, thereby increasing yield and improving growers' profitability, while contributing to environmental sustainability and soil health. LAV.211 will be applied as a seed treatment and is formulated as a water dispersible granule (WDG).

The signing of the distribution agreement follows the evaluation and testing of LAV.211 with UA and its partners (Vision Research Park and Genesis Seeds Solutions) across various locations and over multiple seasons, in target regions of North Dakota in the United States. 

Mr. Ido Dor, CEO of Lavie Bio, stated: "We are pleased to partner with United Agronomy, a leading agricultural company in our target region of North Dakota. United Agronomy and Lavie share similar values, putting farmer's needs first and foremost. With this agreement, Lavie Bio enthusiastically looks forward to the expected commercialization of its first product in 2022."

Mr. RJ Theis, CEO of United Agronomy, stated: "United Agronomy is excited to collaborate with a leading ag-biotech company, Lavie Bio.  Research trials conducted by Vision Research Park over the past three years have demonstrated positive results with LAV.211, throughout northwest North Dakota and we are thrilled to offer LAV.211 to producers as another tool to increase return on investment.  We firmly believe the innovative products created by Lavie Bio will continue to add value for producers throughout our trade territory."