Ghent, Belgium
17 June 2011

Devgen (Euronext Brussels: DEVG) established since 2008 a strong market presence in India selling its product portfolio through 600 distributors and more than 20,000 retailers. Vikram Seeds Pvt Ltd is a Gujurat based company focused on breeding, production and sales of premium hybrid cotton seeds. Under this agreement, parties will distribute each other’s products thereby complementing their respective product portfolios and regional presence.

“This agreement brings significant added value to both companies.” says Devgen CEO, Thierry Bogaert “Through our leadership position in hybrid sorghum seed, Devgen has excellent market access in the core cotton growing areas in India. Vikram Seeds Pvt Ltd has excellent hybrid cotton seeds and is traditionally strong in Gujurat, an important area growth area for Devgen’s pearl millet and sorghum products.”

“This distribution agreement with Devgen will help Vikram Seeds to expand our reach and improve adoption of our cotton hybrids”, says Babubhai Patel, Managing Director of Vikram Seeds.

Vikram Seeds Pvt Ltd was established in 1972 by Mr. Babubhai Patel and his family and has its head office in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India). The company is mainly working on cotton seeds and has other supporting cereal crop seeds in the portfolio. The company has top class research facilities like biotech laboratories, greenhouses and well equipped farm land which help to generate new hybrids and launch technology in the country.

Devgen’s mission is to deliver the next green revolution in rice to growers that cultivate 60m ha rice in India and S.E. Asia.
Devgen uses advanced biotechnology and molecular breeding technology to develop the Next Generation Hybrid Rice (NGHR) and crop protection solutions with a superior environmental profile:

• Devgen developed the next generation of hybrid rice, improving yield, seed productivity, grain quality, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Devgen strongly believes that this hybrid rice technology has the potential to drive the accelerated conversion of varietal rice to hybrid rice.
• Anticipating the need to increase insect resistance and drought/heat tolerance in rice to a level that is beyond what can be achieved with classical breeding, Devgen created a portfolio of biotech traits using own technology as well as in-licensed technologies.
• Devgen established an integrated seed business in India and Southeast Asia through which its rice crops and technologies reach the market.
• In India, Devgen complemented its hybrid rice business with geographically and seasonally complementary crops: hybrid sorghum, pearl millet and sunflower.
• In its Crop Protection unit, Devgen develops a novel nematicide, an agro-chemical product that protects crops from damage by parasitic nematodes. This product is sold in Turkey and in the US.
• Devgen innovates in crop protection research and environment induced stress tolerance for its own crops and providing technology to corporate partners.

Incorporated in 1997, Devgen has offices in Ghent (Belgium), and has subsidiaries in Singapore, Hyderabad (India), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), General Santos (Philippines) and Delaware (US), totaling about 280 employees.
 

Published: June 17, 2011