Casafe Biologicals 2025 – Distributors are the ″Key″ to bioinputs

The distribution channel will be the critical factor in the definitive establishment of biological products in the crop protection market, according to Luis Mogni, a biosolutions specialist and founding partner of Somera SAS, a business management and strategy consultancy.

Mogni’s assertion was made during his participation in the first panel of the Casafe 2025 Congress, Biologicals Edition, entitiled, ″Biological Market: Where Are We?″. The event, organized by the Argentine Chamber of Agricultural Health and Fertilizers, took place in Rosario, Argentina, with AgroPages in attendance.

In his presentation, ″Evolution of the Argentine Biological Market,″ Mogni highlighted Argentina’s position in the bioinput market segment. He noted the need for the Argentine agribusiness chain to ″continue working to bring science to the field through knowledge transfers.″

″We are currently seeing results with biological products that we couldn’t achieve with chemical products. Therefore, we understand that the market will always be a partnership between the two: bioinputs and conventional products,″ said Mogni.

Further, Mogni noted that data presented during this year’s Casafe Congress, showed that the reported Argentine biological product market grew by 10.9% in 2024, reaching USD 124.2 million compared to 2023. ″Today, this segment accounts for 4% of the total phytosanitary market in 2024,″ he stated.

Also, Mogni shared a graph illustrating the composition of Argentina’s market. According to Somera SAS data, the market share breaks down as follows: 51% seed treatment, 26% biostimulants, 10% biofertilizers, 6% pheromones, 4% bioinsecticides, and 3% other biological inputs.

Mogni added that Argentina’s priority should be to accurately identify the real needs of producers. ″I believe the distribution channel is fundamental in this regard because it is closer to the producer. By identifying these needs, it can ensure that companies producing biological products provide exactly the knowledge that the producer requires,″ he said.

″We need to deepen our understanding of plant physiology much further. I believe we must delve into a more comprehensive understanding of how microorganisms or biological organisms interact with plants, insects, weeds, or diseases. I think we lost this physiological perspective at some point,″ noted Mogni.

According to Mogni, Argentine producers need to be more ambitious. They must understand that, beyond controlling invasive weeds or other issues, they should aim for increasing productivity. ″Today, these increases range from 3% to 7%, and some are content with 3%. In an economically stable world, 3% of anything is significant, let alone in Argentina,″ he added.

Luis Mogni went further, advocating that Argentine agriculture needs to develop and apply biological products that also enable the cultivation of certain crops in peri-urban areas. Further, research and development, especially in the area of herbicides, should increasingly be localized, as this need is greater in Argentina than in the rest of the world.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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