Argentina announces awards for best biofertilizer and biopesticide

The Argentine government announced the 2024 Argentina Organic Awards winners at an event organized by the National Agriculture Secretariat, with FFO receiving the award for best biofertilizer, and Agro Advance Technology winning for best biopesticide.

The awards ceremony aimed to bring together leading players in the organic sector to celebrate achievements in sustainable production. The event featured 15 nomination categories and nine special mentions, recognizing various stakeholders in the organic value chain who develop excellent, innovative, and inspiring projects that add value to national agroindustrial production and consumption.

Among the winning companies, FFO stood out by receiving the award for "best biofertilizer, stimulant, or growth promoter" for its liquid biological soil amendment. According to the manufacturer, their product is a "complete consortium of microorganisms to produce more and better."

Approved as an input for organic production in both Argentina and the European Economic Community, FFO is authorized for applications in rural, peri-urban, and even urban areas. According to its developers, the product is a liquid biological additive that "improves plant processes such as root development, nutrition, sprouting, flowering, and stress resistance. Additionally, it stimulates crop defenses against insect attacks and diseases, generating a significant increase in yield and quality."

Agro Advance Technology was recognized with the "best biopesticide or animal therapeutic" award for their product Mumtech, which is produced from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The product is "capable of integrally managing the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), a pest with a high infestation in Argentina."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries highlighted: "These awards are part of a broader effort under the Argentina Organic 2030 Strategic Plan, which seeks to promote the development and adoption of innovative technologies in agriculture."

"The active participation of companies in the sector highlights the growing interest and commitment to more sustainable and responsible agricultural practices. The initiative not only promotes healthy competition among producers but also seeks to increase public awareness about the benefits of organic production in Argentina. With a regulatory framework supporting these practices under National Law 25.127, recognizing companies that innovate in bio-inputs is essential to promote a more sustainable future in national agriculture," the statement said.

The National Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Sergio Iraeta, emphasized at the event, "it is exciting to see the power of organic production. I am a conventional producer, so I doubly admire this production because I understand the sacrifice, effort, and work that must be done to produce sustainably."

"What leads me to insist on all this is that we're moving toward a world that demands these types of products; it's what consumers demand, and we must be prepared. We have to produce for Argentina to grow; we have to produce a lot and well," he said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)