Valent Biosciences sets distribution deal with BioAg Alliance

LIBERTYVILLE - Valent Biosciences Corp. has reached an agreement with The BioAg Alliance to distribute certain Actinovate Biological Fungicide products.

Through the agreement, Actinovate AG brand sales for the United States will be handled through Valent U.S.A. Corporation and for Canada by Valent Canada, Inc.

Actinovate AG is a broad spectrum biofungicide product for management of common foliar and soilborne diseases found on outdoor crops and in greenhouses, nurseries, and turf. The move aims to further strengthen the Valent Group's biorational offering while leveraging its substantial penetration into the biocontrol and disease management market.

"We are pleased to add a quality product such as Actinovate®AG to our industry-leading biorational product line," said Ted Melnik, executive vice president and chief operating officer of VBC. " Actinovate®AG is a proven product that offers growers a flexible tool for fighting disease and managing resistance while providing value across a wide range of plants and crops."

The deal comes on the heels of VBC's recent acquisition of Mycorrhizal Applications and its 2012 acquisition of Pace International. Valent U.S.A. and other affiliates of parent Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited are closely aligning development of conventionals and biorationals to further strengthen their global crop protection and enhancement businesses.

"The BioAg Alliance is pleased to work with Valent Biosciences to deliver this new solution to their customers," said Brad Griffith, vice president of Global Microbials for Monsanto. "We are focused on being the preferred development and commercial partner in ag microbials worldwide, bringing value to our partners and this agreement is a great example of this work. The BioAg Alliance brings an unmatched ability to take ag microbial products from idea to market - including access to premier formulation, testing, production, and regulatory capabilities."