Davis, California
July 14, 2009
Team to focus on launching new
products in key Latin American markets, build distribution
network
AgraQuest, Inc. announced
today that it has strengthened its commitment to the Latin
American market by creating a regional team to drive the
commercialization of its products throughout Central and South
America. The team which includes sales, marketing, business
development, product development, registration and technical
services will focus on delivering unique fungicide and
insecticide produts that provide effective pest control,
improved yields, and higher quality for growers, as well as
developing long-term business strategies with distribution
partners.
Leading the new team will be Cesar Lamonega, who has joined
AgraQuest as the VP of International Sales, LATAM & Asia.
Lamonega, who currently resides in Brazil, comes to AgraQuest
with more than 35 years of pesticide management and technical
development experience in the Latin American market. Most
recently, he worked for Chemtura as the VP of Crop Protection in
Latin America.
“With a host of new registrations expected throughout Latin
America over the next few months, AgraQuest is in an excellent
position to capture a sizeable share of the $4 billion
insecticide and fungicide market in the region over the next
several years,” said Lamonega. “AgraQuest is strongly committed
to launching and growing our products into new markets,
supporting our distributors, and providing enhanced value to
growers throughout Latin America.”
Providing marketing and business planning support will be Nevada
Smith, Director of Business Development and Marketing, South
America. Smith previously served as AgraQuest’s NAFTA Marketing
Manager. The sales team includes Jorge Cetti, Regional Director
of Latin American Sales, Enrique Rebaza, Commercial Manager for
Central American & Latin America North, and Luis serrano,
Territory Manager for Ecuador. Technical development support
will be provided by Fabio Brandi, Product Development Manager.
Brandi recently joined AgraQuest bringing more than 15 years of
experience working in technical roles with companies such as Dow
AgroSciences and Chemtura. In addition to the roles already
filled, AgraQuest is still recruiting a regulatory manager for
the region, as well as a commercial manager for Brazil.
Building on the success that AgraQuest has generated with
products in the NAFTA market - SERENADE®, SONATA® and REQUIEM® -
the new team will rapidly expand into the Latin America segments
by offering unique chemistries with enhanced value to growers in
key regional markets such as soybeans, wheat, bananas and other
high-value fruit and vegetable crops.
“AgraQuest’s products have an excellent fit in the Latin America
market, not only in the high-end specialty crops, but in the row
crops as well,” said Smith. “We expect to be a major contributor
in soybeans and other row crops for controlling a wide range of
diseases and pests.”
AgraQuest’s flagship product, SERENADE, is a biofungicide that
has been extensively tested in the lab and in more than 6,000
field trials throughout the world, and is already registered in
a number of countries in Latin America. THe company previously
announced a global license, supply and distribution agreement
with BASF for SERENADE. SONATA, a product specializing in the
control of rusts and mildews, is currently undergoing
registration in targeted countries including Brazil and
Columbia. Registration for SONATA is expected by the end of the
year. REQUIEM insecticide, which Agraquest launched in the U.S.
this year, is expected to be registered in 2010.
“The Latin America markets represent key strategic growth
opportunities for AgraQuest. This new team will be an excellent
complement to AgraQuest’s existing global strengths,” said
Ashish Malik, Senior VP of Global Marketing for AgraQuest.
“Having a dedicated team on the ground and working directly in
these markets will provide growers with innovative and effective
tools that have improved resistance management, residue,
envrionmental, and worker safety profiles.”
AgraQuest is a biotechnology company that focuses on
discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing highly
effective pest management products for agricultural,
institutional and home markets. As a leader in the emerging low
chem sector, AgraQuest works to provide growers with solutions
that offer best in class control while reducing the chemical
load on the environment. AgraQuest’s global portfolio of
products - recognized as safe to beneficials, works, and the
environment - include SERENADE®, SERENADE® Garden, RHAPSODY®,
SONATA®, and BALLAD® fungicides and BARITON®E and REQUIEM®
insecticides. AgraQuest has received several environmental
awards including the Presidential Green Chemistry Award from the
U.S. EPA for the discovery and commercialization of SERENADE.
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