Argentine AgriGlobal invests US$7.6 million in new biofactory

The Argentine family-owned business, AgriGlobal, announced the inauguration of its first bio-input factory, which will receive an investment of US$7.6 million.

Founded 28 years ago, AgriGlobal positions itself as the ‘main manufacturer of baits for pest control in Argentina.″

José Luis Tau

″As specialists in the formulation of granulated products, we decided to bring this technology closer to biological ones,″ said José Luis Tau, the agronomist who founded the company.

The new factory, which covers an area of 1,400-square meters, has laboratories in which beneficial microorganisms are isolated from the soil, and screening is being carried out to identify those with the most promising characteristics.

They are then multiplied and incorporated into a granulated matrix of exclusive technologies known as the BioMatrix,″ which will serve as both protection and food, since they are "sown" together with the seeds and begin to grow when in contact with the soil.

Therefore, this solid formulation functions as transportation for microorganisms to their site of action, and as nutritional support during the first stages of growth, among other advantages.

The first product manufactured using this technology is Gradix, the first 100% biological growth promoter in a solid state in South America, which is based on the fungus, Trichoderma harzianum.

″Gradix has unique characteristics. Almost all biological products are applied in liquid form, but we were able to introduce a living being into a granule, with more encouraging results than we expected,″ said José Luis Tau.

In tests carried out during the past three years, yields per hectare with the application of Gradix increased by an average of 8% compared to controls.

Federico Tau

Federico Tau, general manager of the company, said, ″The main objective is to introduce Gradix in wheat crops, but it can be applied to any other crop. This is of particular importance for cases like maize and sunflower, whose seeds already come with seedbed treatments and inoculants cannot be applied. In these cases, Gradix makes it possible to incorporate the biological agent independently.″

On the international scene, the first country where Gradix is planned to be used is Brazil, where the stability of the product in hot climates is of great interest, and the trials carried out with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) are generating very encouraging results.

Around the world, the market for biological products for agriculture is estimated to be valued at $5.5 billion, which could double in the next five years. In Argentina, it is even more incipient, and it is estimated that this market revolves around $180 million per year.

AgriGlobal is also developing other projects that utilize BioMatrix technology and various biological assets, including a slug control product and a biological anticide.

″The focus, in the medium term, is to make everything using biologicals,″ explained Federico Tau. The company is even processing the registration of products for organic agriculture.

Currently, the AgriGlobal biofactory has a production capacity of 3.6 million kilograms per year.

It is designed to be able, in the medium term, to triple its production capacity, both to supply the domestic market and for exports.

In addition, the company has started building smart offices close to the factory, with an additional investment of $1 million, which will enable it to move its headquarters there in 2024.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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