Logistics is main challenge for bioinputs in Brazil, according to Promip

One of the pioneers in the bioinputs sector in Brazil, Promip has stated that despite a 40% annual growth, this industry faces serious logistics problems. Marcelo Poletti, CEO of Promip, said the distribution of biologicals is a limiting factor for even greater market advancement.

"There are limitations in companies, capacities, and meeting demand. Those that use cold chain (storage and transportation with climate control) have a higher cost," he said. According to Poletti, the solution has been to partner with retailers to deliver freezers, but the trend is for the industry to "move away from the cold chain." This is because one of the main challenges in the biological sector is the "shelf life" of products, as in many cases, they are living organisms that last a few weeks. "To ensure proper deliveries, preserving the efficiency of 'natural enemies' in the field, biofactories have been working in alignment with their customers from the end of production to shipping and receiving. Customer interaction in this process assists logistics," Promip's CEO explained.

Another alternative, according to Poletti, would be to produce organisms regionally, with factories close to producers. The current focus and the new direction for Promip is a microbiological that acts against the corn earworm, considered one of the main pests of corn. With a shelf life of two years, the product uses a baculovirus. The product was developed from a compound isolated from Embrapa Corn and Sorghum's Baculovirus spodoptera and was one of the first microbiological products in Promip's lineup.

The company is preparing to inaugurate a new factory in early 2024, which is expected to quintuple the production capacity of its lines of macrobiologicals (with eight products) and microbiologicals (seven products). The current Promip biofactory delivers 30 tons per year. The new capacity is expected to range between 150 and 180 tons per year.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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