First commercial sales are expected to commence in the second half of 2023, after receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

Plant Health Care plc and Novozymes South Asia Pvt. Ltd. have signed an agreement for the exclusive distribution of Harpinab for use in sugar cane production in India. First commercial sales are expected to commence in the second half of 2023, after receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

This is the first product introduced into India by PHC. India is the world’s second largest producer of sugar cane with about five million hectares under cultivation. Harpinab has been used on more than 180,000 hectares of sugar cane in Brazil since the launch in 2018.

Evaluated by Novozymes in prior growing seasons in India, the application of Harpinab to sugar cane bolstered crop yield by more than 10 per cent on average. Harpinab works by triggering the plant’s own self defence systems, in a manner similar to vaccinations in humans, with crops responding with improved quality, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and ultimately, increased yield. Being a biological product, Harpinab has a very favourable human and environmental safety profile.