Plant Health Care gets product approval in Argentina

Agriculture-focussed biological products company Plant Health Care announced the registration approval of its ‘Harpin ab’ product for use as a seed treatment in Argentina on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said the regulatory process in Argentina for agricultural products would involve detailed review and approval by Senasa, the country's national food safety and quality regulator, which classified Harpin ab as a “biostimulant organic-chemical fertiliser”.

That, the board said, confirmed the Argentinian government's commitment to promoting cost effective, sustainable and safe products.

“Harpin ab works by triggering the plant's own self defence systems, leading to a robust physiological response, in a manner similar to vaccinations in humans,” the board said in its statement.

“The plant responds with improved crop quality, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and ultimately, increased yield.

“Being a biological product, Harpin ab has a very favorable human and environmental safety profile.”

It explained that corn and soybeans were the first crops to receive regulatory approval for Harpin ab in the country, which has 24 million hectares of those crops planted in the current season.

Growers spent more than $100m on soybean seed treatments in Argentina in the most recent season, with the size of the biological market in soybeans said to be growing “rapidly”, reaching around $75m in 2021.

The company said it was currently working with multiple organisations that were evaluating Harpin ab, and would select in-country distribution partners in due course.

“Harpin ab registration in Argentina is key to the further expansion of Harpin ab use into large row crop markets,” said chief executive officer Chris Richards.

At 1224 BST, shares in Plant Health Care were up 1.96% at 13p.