Arysta to launch biosolutions technology BANZAI™

Plant Impact plc and Arysta LifeScience Africa, India and Middle East (AIME) announced that Arysta LifeScience will launch BANZAI™, a new product that improves cocoa yields under stressful growing conditions. BANZAI™ is based on Plant Impact’s Alethea™ technology, and Arysta LifeScience will become the exclusive marketer for the product in the important cocoa-producing countries of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Togo. Together, these countries account for more than 70 percent of total global cocoa production.
 

In 2011, Arysta LifeScience made a strategic equity investment in Plant Impact, in connection with Arysta LifeScience’s evaluation and distribution of certain Plant Impact products and technologies. Over the past three years, the companies have collaborated to evaluate and test Plant Impact’s technologies in West African cocoa-producing conditions. This newly-announced launch of the product BANZAI™ marks the important beginning of the commercial growth phase for this product.
 

BANZAI™ is a foliar spray applied to cocoa trees to reduce the stress and resulting loss of cocoa pods (fruit) caused by widespread diseases such as Black Pod (phytophthora spp.). In certain cases, use of BANZAI™ may allow growers to reduce other traditional chemical inputs, improving the environmental sustainability of overall cocoa production. Recent demonstration trials in Cameroon have shown yield improvements in excess of 25 percent.
 

“Our strategic aim is to offer the West African cocoa grower a complete, integrated solution, including agrochemicals, biosolutions, fertilizer, equipment and advisory services,” explained Patrick Dupard, CEO of Arysta LifeScience West Africa and MENA business. “The launch of BANZAI™ in the Ivory Coast this year is an important step forward in our development of full grower offers to support sustainable, low-residue cocoa production.”
 

“Plant Impact’s technologies require expert positioning with growers, and Arysta LifeScience’s long history and leading presence in the region make it the ideal partner for us,” commented John McGillivray, Plant Impact’s Commercial Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “The launch of BANZAI™ marks our company’s first entry into small-holder cropping markets, and we are pleased to work with a local expert like Arysta LifeScience to ensure the commercial and technical success of the product.”
 

Under the arrangement between the companies, Arysta LifeScience will exclusively market BANZAI™ to regional distributors, cooperative boards and growers, and Plant Impact will provide structured technical support. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.