Bayer projects recovery in Brazil with the launch of Fox Xpro

 

After seeing insignificant gains due to its high stocks of pesticides last year, Bayer is now hopeful with the launch of Fox Xpro, a new fungicide that will act on crops of cotton and soybeans and will arrive in the market in the second semester. 

 

Through the combination of three active ingredients (Bixafen + Prothioconazole + Trifloxystrobin), Fox Xpro considerably improves protection against Asian rust, which attacks soybeans. Jean Zonato, director of fungicides for Bayer in Latin America, affirms that there are no expectations with regard to the sales of the product, but believes it will gain good acceptance. “As Fox Xpro is an innovative product, we expect it to see a larger demand from producers for fungicides in the next crop season,” Zonato said.   

 

The disease has spread continually and has become more resistant to chemical products. Andreas Mehl, global researcher of fungicides at Bayer, believed there needed to be a joint collaboration between companies and farmers, and alerts them to pay attention to the guidance over management, which considerably increases the chance to combat rust. “We have some 40 million hectares of soybeans in South America and the spores do not have a passport,” Mehl said.

 

The high expectations for the new fungicide are pushed further by the increase in profits for farmers, which means that the sales of pesticides could be a lot better this year. Zonato said that the company is optimistic about the market and is focused on avoiding excessive stocks. “We have good potential to see a better year, and we are working hard towards that,” he said.