Connect with:
Tuesday / October 22. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
HomePosts Tagged "BASF" (Page 2)
Agrotech, Company News, India, Start ups

IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest Workshop for Crop Health Monitoring using drones,’ with Cody Sokkappa of Pix4D Japan as the lead instructor

Drone manufacturer IoTechWorld Avigation said it has joined hands with Switzerland-based company Pix4D which specialises in photogrammetry software technology to jointly offer precision farming solutions in the country.

Commenting upon the tie-up between the two companies, Deepak Bhardwaj, Co-Founder and Director, of IoTechWorld Avigation said, “We are witnessing an agri-drone revolution in the country and gradually we are moving towards precision farming. Our association is to foster awareness about drone-enabled crop health monitoring.”

Underlining the objective of the association, Anoop Upadhyay, Co-Founder and Director, of IoTechWorld Avigation said, “Initially our approach involves the creation of awareness among Industry, Researchers, and Academia. Subsequently, we will create awareness among farmers as well.”

Expressing the rationale behind the association, Mitul Arora, Business Development Lead – India & South Asia, Pix4D said, “Everyone needs a customized and one-stop solution. IoTechWorld has drone technology and multi-spectral sensors by the name Sequoia and now they will have our photogrammetry technology too. So, through this association, a one-stop solution will be provided to all, and this will be beneficial for the govt research institutes, crop insurance and other associated specialised tasks.”

India is undergoing a tremendous transformation in the agriculture sector and adoption of technology is happening at an unprecedented level. This opens a huge opportunity and this association is expected to enable faster and deeper integration of technology in various spheres of agriculture.

IoTechWorld is the manufacturer of India’s 1st DGCA Type certified agri-drone ‘AGRIBOT’ and is the pioneer in this segment.

Whereas, Switzerland-headquartered Pix4D is recognized for its Pix4Dfields Software, a cutting-edge solution designed for advanced agricultural mapping. The software processes RGB and multispectral data for aerial crop analysis and digital farming. Pix4D has offices in 7 countries across multiple continents meeting the requirements of these as well as neighboring countries.
IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest Workshop for Crop Health Monitoring using drones,’ with Cody Sokkappa of Pix4D Japan as the lead instructor. The event drew approximately 70 attendees, predominantly comprised of scientists from governmental institutions. Additionally, a cohort of researchers from esteemed crop protection firms, including Syngenta and BASF, also took part in the workshop.

IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Company News, Europe

Essen’ciel will be distributed within the portfolio of BioSolutions by BASF in Spain and Italy.

BASF and Vivagro, an innovative French company focused on agroecological solutions, signed a distribution agreement for the product Essen’ciel for the Italian and Spanish market. Essen’ciel is a natural fungicide, insecticide and acaricide based on sweet orange essential oil. It is approved for organic uses, including vine grapes, vegetable crops, berries, ornamental crops, industrial crops and arboriculture. Especially for pip fruits such as apples, pears, and quinces, Essen’ciel represents an alternative biocontrol product in light of scarcity of insecticide solutions.

Essen’ciel will be distributed within the portfolio of BioSolutions by BASF in Spain and Italy. “Biological crop protection is an important step forward to further support sustainable agriculture,” said Marco Moorfeld, Vice President Market Management Europe at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “New partnerships are crucial to meet the growing demand for biologicals, driven by the need to reduce the impact of farming on the environment and benefit from R&D advances in biology and production. Our collaboration with Vivagro strengthens our biological portfolio for farmers.”

Essen’ciel is one of Vivagro’s core products. It is a contact curative treatment with a unique mode of action: it desiccates soft-bodied insects and the aerial organs of pathological fungi. Furthermore, it is a fundamental tool for integrated pest management (IPM), to complete spray programs as it takes into account waste management without neglecting efficiency. “We are proud of our biological innovations. Bringing these to the market with the support of BASF is an important milestone to further expand our business, and meet the expectations of farmers and agricultural industries”, explained Alain Petersen, Export Manager from Vivagro.

BASF and Vivagro foresee a growing market development and expect to further expand their partnership in the future.

Essen’ciel will be distributed within the portfolio

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, World

The companies plan to complete the feasibility study on the low-carbon blue ammonia production facility by the end of 2023

BASF and Yara Clean Ammonia are collaborating on a joint study to develop and construct a world-scale low-carbon blue ammonia production facility with carbon capture in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The companies are looking into the feasibility of a plant with a total capacity of 1.2 to 1.4 million tons p.a. to serve the growing global demand for low-carbon ammonia.

“Yara and BASF have successfully collaborated in the past and we are pleased to explore a new clean ammonia project together. In line with Yara Clean Ammonia’s strategy, we are working systematically to develop asset-backed supply to decarbonize agriculture as well as serving new clean ammonia segments such as shipping fuel, power production and ammonia as a hydrogen carrier,” said Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, President of Yara Clean Ammonia.

Approximately 95 per cent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated from the production process is aimed to be captured and permanently stored in the ground. This would allow Yara to serve its customers with clean ammonia with a significantly reduced product carbon footprint. For BASF, the new plant would act as backward integration to serve the company’s demand for low-carbon ammonia and would lower the carbon footprint of its ammonia-based products.

“This project underlines BASF’s commitment to drive the sustainable transformation of the chemical industry. Our existing Verbund sites in the region with integrated material flows and advanced infrastructure would be ideally suited for the integration of a new world-scale ammonia facility that has the potential to significantly improve the carbon footprint of both our own operations and the various industries we serve,” said Dr Ramkumar Dhruva, President Monomers Division, BASF.

BASF and Yara are long-standing collaboration partners and successfully operating a joint world-scale ammonia plant at BASF’s site in Freeport, Texas. The companies plan to complete the feasibility study on the low-carbon blue ammonia production facility by the end of 2023.

The companies plan to complete the feasibility

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, Packaging & Labelling, Supply Chain

New projects and solutions for customers and partners on the three phases of the “MAKE-USE-RECYCLE” life cycle in the packaging sector

After the virtual event two years ago, the international trade fair for packaging interpack will be held again at Messe Düsseldorf from May 4 to 10, 2023. BASF will be represented together with BTC Europe, its European distribution organization, at Stand B43 in Hall 10 and will present numerous solutions and new projects in the packaging sector to customers and partners. The focus is on sustainability: Whether market-leading products or new technologies – on the way to a more sustainable plastics industry, BASF will continue its “Plastics Journey” with the three phases “MAKE-USE-RECYLE” in the life cycle of plastics at interpack.

Ultramid Ccycled as sustainable solution for packaging

One example is BASF’s sustainable polyamide Ultramid® Ccycled® – a future-oriented mass-balanced product that supports the use of alternative raw materials from the chemical recycling of plastic waste. Chemical recycling currently uses plastic waste that is difficult to recycle, such as end-of-life tyres or mixed household packaging, thus keeping it in the material cycle. The recycled raw material is fed into the beginning of the BASF production Verbund and allocated to Ultramid Ccycled products via a mass-balance approach. Fossil raw materials are thus replaced and saved. This solution is used in many segments, such as textiles and packaging. Since Ultramid Ccycled  has the same quality as the conventional product, the sustainable polyamide is also ideally suited for highly regulated applications such as food packaging.

Meeting the challenges of circularity of plastic packaging with additives:

At interpack 2023, BASF will showcase several additive solutions to improve the durability, transparency and circularity of plastic packaging, meeting the demands of brand owners, recyclers and converters.

The IrgaCycle® range of additives enhances circularity and can maximize the post-consumer recycled content in an end-use plastic packaging. In addition, they mitigate common processing challenges such as gel formation and defects when using recyclates while rejuvenating the stabilizing additive package that may have been depleted during the first lifecycle of a package. The IrgaCycle range is part of the VALERAS® portfolio, the brand name under which BASF markets its range of sustainable plastic additive solutions.

BASF will give a keynote speech on “Advancing performance for circular packaging applications” on May 5 at the SPOTLIGHT area at the North Entrance of the fair. The focus of that day will be “Circular Economy – Closing the Loop” and BASF experts will highlight its solutions designed for sustainable packaging applications.

New projects and solutions for customers and

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Europe, Finance, Seeds

Sales declined by 13.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 to €19,991 million (Q1 2022: €23,083 million).

Germany based BASF has released preliminary figures for the first quarter of 2023. Sales declined by 13.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 to €19,991 million (Q1 2022: €23,083 million). This was mainly driven by considerably lower volumes. Sales were considerably lower than average analyst estimates for the first quarter of 2023 (Vara: €21,819 million).

EBIT before special items of BASF Group amounted to an expected €1,931 million in the first quarter of 2023, a decline of 31.5 per cent compared with the prior-year quarter (Q1 2022: €2,818 million) but considerably above the analyst consensus for the first quarter of 2023 (Vara: €1,599 million). In particular, EBIT before special items in the Agricultural Solutions segment considerably exceeded average analyst estimates. Chemicals, Materials and Surface Technologies were also considerably above the respective average analyst estimates for EBIT before special items in the first quarter of 2023. In the Industrial Solutions and Nutrition & Care segments, EBIT before special items missed average analyst estimates slightly and considerably, respectively. In Other, EBIT before special items was weaker than expected by analysts on average.

The BASF Group’s EBIT amounted to an expected €1,867 million in the first quarter of 2023, considerably below the figure for the prior-year quarter (Q1 2022: €2,785 million) but considerably above the analyst consensus (Vara: €1,533 million).

Net income reached €1,562 million, considerably above the figure in the prior-year quarter (Q1 2022: €1,221 million) and considerably above average analyst estimates for the first quarter of 2023 (Vara: €1,081 million). In the prior-year quarter, impairments on the participation in Wintershall Dea had burdened net income of BASF Group.

Sales declined by 13.4 per cent in

Animal Health, Company News, North America, Sustainability

Through this next stage of collaboration, BASF and Cargill strive to deliver solutions that address productivity, sustainability, and cost challenges for US customers.

BASF and Cargill have announced their expanded cooperation, adding the United States (US) to their existing feed enzymes development and distribution agreement. Together, the two companies are committed to bringing innovative enzyme-based solutions to the market, generating distinctive value for animal feed customers. By combining the enzyme research and development strengths of BASF with Cargill’s know-how in application and broad market reach, the partners will form a joint innovation pipeline for animal protein producers. 

With the expanded geographical reach, BASF and Cargill aim to bring the voice and commercial insights of US protein producers to craft the next generation of enzymes jointly. Through this next stage of collaboration, BASF and Cargill strive to deliver solutions that address productivity, sustainability, and cost challenges for US customers.

“We are delighted further to strengthen our relationship with our US customers and BASF,” said Mariano Berdegue, the North America regional managing director for Cargill’s animal nutrition business. “The collaboration will provide more animal feed customers with access to a wide range of high-performance enzyme solutions that we have seen reduce nutrient waste, improve feed efficiency, and sustainably promote animal performance.” 

In 2021, BASF and Cargill moved the relationship beyond pure distribution agreements into the joint development of new enzyme technologies and applications. This extended partnership builds upon the successful go-to-market collaboration between the companies across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the Middle East, and Africa. As part of the partnership, BASF and Cargill will co-develop, produce, market, and sell customer-centric enzyme products and solutions. 

“With the expansion of our collaboration to the US, we continue to build our joint success story. We are proud to be on this journey with Cargill to increase further the value creation opportunities for animal feed customers,” adds Gisele Santos Bin, Global Sales Director Feed Enzymes & Feed Performance Ingredients at BASF.

BASF and Cargill are excited to expand their partnership and bring scientific excellence and animal nutrition expertise to drive customer success.

Through this next stage of collaboration, BASF

Company News, India, Seeds

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Arisa indicate that the agriculture sector in India faces several critical and systemic issues related to human and labour rights.

BASF, Syngenta, and Arisa have joined hands in a multistakeholder collaboration called Wage Improvements in Seed Hybrids (WISH). WISH will address child labour issues and strive for minimum wage compliance in the vegetable seed sector in India.

The four-year project, cofounded with a grant from the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO), consists of two phases: In the first phase, WISH will research whether and where payments are still below minimum wages and/or child labour and the violation of other labour rights occur. This data will be independently collected by two India-based organisations, Glocal Research and MV Foundation, and used by them suggest modes of action to address these challenges. In the second phase, WISH will implement strategies that address the root causes of gaps in the minimum wages and child labour regulations in the vegetable seeds sector.

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Arisa indicate that the agriculture sector in India faces several critical and systemic issues related to human and labour rights. Current wages in the sector are often lower than the region’s statutory minimum wage, and although child labor has been greatly reduced in the past few years, it remains an ongoing challenge within the agricultural sector.

“In this project, Arisa will use its expertise, knowledge, and network to address labor rights violations in the vegetable seed sector. Due to COVID-19, the issues motivating this project have become even more urgent: the number of children working has increased in the last two years, as schools were closed and families lost income,” says Sandra Claassen, the Director of Arisa.

“We achieved this by raising awareness among our seed suppliers to adopt best practices for adhering to a zero tolerance towards child labor, evaluating and monitoring our suppliers as well as promoting school attendance to prevent child labor”, says Rob Huijten, Country Head Netherlands, and board member of BASF’s vegetable seed business. In this next step, BASF will -together with its partners- actively accompany and support this transformation of the entire Indian vegetable seed sector. “We are proud to work together with Syngenta and Arisa to address this complex situation that still affects thousands of families in India,” says Rob Huijten.

Jason Allerding, Head of Health, Safety & Environment, Sustainability and Risk Management, Syngenta Seeds said, “We understand that meaningful outcomes can best be achieved through collective action from various stakeholders. Through this collaboration, we aim to bring partners together to build a roadmap for wage progression across the vegetable seeds sector.”

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance

 Achieves solid EBIT before special items of €1.3 billion down by €517 million versus prior-year quarter

BASF has announced sales at €21.9 billion up 12 per cent in third quarter of 2022 over prior-year quarter. EBIT before special items of €1.3 billion down by €517 million versus prior-year quarter. Earnings improve considerably in downstream segments, decline significantly in Chemicals and Materials segments. Cash flows from operating activities increased to €2.3 billion compared with €1.9 billion in the third quarter of 2021. Company has expected sales of between €86 billion and €89 billion, EBIT before special items of between €6.8 billion and €7.2 billion in 2022.

“Despite the continued high raw materials and energy prices, BASF achieved solid earnings in the third quarter,” said Dr Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE, presenting the results for the third quarter of 2022 together with Chief Financial Officer Dr. Hans-Ulrich Engel.

At €21.9 billion, sales were 12 percent higher than in the prior-year quarter. The sales increase was mainly driven by much higher prices in almost all segments. Only the Surface Technologies segment recorded lower price levels as a result of lower precious metal prices. Currency effects had a positive impact in all segments. Sales growth was also boosted by portfolio effects. Sales development was significantly dampened by lower volumes in all segments except for Agricultural Solutions.

Income from operations (EBIT) before special items declined by €517 million compared with the third quarter of 2021 to €1.3 billion. “Our downstream segments Surface Technologies, Agricultural Solutions, Nutrition & Care and Industrial Solutions increased their earnings considerably,” said Brudermüller. However, earnings in the Chemicals and Materials segments declined significantly compared with the very high levels of the prior-year quarter.

At €1.3 billion, EBIT was considerably below the prior-year quarter (€1.8 billion). This figure includes income from integral companies accounted for using the equity method, which declined by €124 million to €76 million, mainly due to the lower earnings contribution from BASF-YPC Company Ltd., Nanjing, China.

Compared with the third quarter of 2021, income from operations before depreciation, amortization and special items (EBITDA before special items) decreased by €446 million to €2.3 billion and EBITDA declined by €474 million to €2.3 billion.

 Achieves solid EBIT before special items

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, Live Stock, Sustainability

Cooperation combines BASF’s deep value chain sustainability experience in animal nutrition and Evonik’s extensive knowledge of feed formulation and customer insights

BASF and Evonik entered into an agreement, granting Evonik certain non-exclusive licensing rights to Opteinics™ – BASF’s digital solution to increase understanding and reduce the environmental footprint of the feed and animal protein industries. Evonik integrates the digital ready-to-use sustainability platform Opteinics™ into its global feed consultancy services. Combining BASF’s digital sustainability solution Opteinics™ with Evonik’s innovative farm management tools and sustainability services will help customers to produce more sustainable feed and animal protein.

Opteinics™ is a software solution launched by BASF in 2021 to measure, analyze and minimize the environmental impact of animal protein, with an emphasis on animal feed production. Currently the software offers modules for pig and poultry production and can be integrated with feed formulation software.

Opteinics™ for pork has recently been fully verified to conform with the ISO 14040 and 14044 LCA standards as well as with the UN Food & Agriculture Organization Livestock Environmental Assessment & Performance (LEAP) Partnership guidelines.  Applications for the dairy value chain and for the optimization of compound feed mixtures will follow soon.

With the use of Opteinics™, Evonik can even better support the livestock industry to make significant progress in fighting climate change, safeguarding ecosystems, and ensuring health and well-being as it works to achieve sustainable food production.

“With Evonik, we have a strong partner to make it a preferred and leading solution as a digital sustainability platform for the global feed industry,” said Manuel Rez, Director Global Product Management Performance Ingredients & Solutions and Marketing BASF Animal Nutrition.

“We are incorporating BASF’s ready-to-use software Opteinics™ into our comprehensive sustainability solutions for customers,” explains Dr. Stefan Mack, head of Service Marketing at Evonik’s Animal Nutrition business line.

Cooperation combines BASF’s deep value chain sustainability

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, North America

Corteva Agriscience and BASF Agricultural Solutions have announced their agreement to develop future herbicide-tolerant soyabeans and complementing herbicides for farmers in North America and beyond. The collaboration aims to bring competitive alternatives to manage resistant and tough-to-control weeds through innovative trait stacks and durable, long-lasting modes of action. 

Farmers will benefit from broader weed management options and strong germplasm choices from both BASF and Corteva seed brands. The strategic cross-licensing agreement includes the development of new trait stacks, as well as optimised herbicide options for future weed control.

“The spirit of our cooperation is to drive innovations that make a difference for farmers,” said Dr Peter Eckes, President R&D and Regulatory of BASF Agricultural Solutions. “Our new PPO trait in combination with our leading herbicide products and exciting herbicides pipeline gives soybean farmers new options in managing challenging weeds. Collaborating also strengthens our branded soybean seed business.”

“Expanding options for soybean farmers to manage weed challenges with the herbicides that work best for their operation is one of our priorities,” said Dr Sam Eathington, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Digital Officer, Corteva Agriscience. We know farmers who prefer the weed control system will need additional, new modes of action as they work to improve the sustainability of their weed-control practices.”

Corteva Agriscience and BASF Agricultural Solutions have announced

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Singapore

 The new €40 million site will serve as a hub for the region, and support the needs of over 20 million hectares of farmland in Asia Pacific.

BASF inaugurated a new regional production site for its Agricultural Solutions business. The €40 million multipurpose facility has been designed to initially handle six different formulation technologies and will enable BASF to supply crop protection products to farmers across Asia Pacific from a strategic location in the region. The site has initial production capacity of 7,000 kl per year – enough to supply over 20 million hectares of farmland – and employs a staff of over 30 technicians and professionals. The site represents an important investment by BASF in Singapore, which now has four production facilities in the republic.

BASF has recently launched several new innovations in Asia Pacific targeted at helping farmers of key crops – including rice and fruits & vegetables – combat pests and boost yields in a more sustainable manner. These include crop protection products based on the company’s new active ingredients Inscalis® , and Revysol® – patented innovations which help farmers control insects and diseases in crops. Products featuring these two active ingredients – as well as several soon-to-be launched products from the company’s innovation pipeline – will be produced at the new site.

From BASF, the site was inaugurated by Simone Barg, Senior Vice President Agricultural Solutions Asia Pacific and Dr. Carola Richter, President Asia Pacific (excl. China). They were joined by Ow Kai Onn, Vice President & Head of Chemicals & Materials from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Loh Yew Pong, Deputy Director Energy & Chemicals Cluster, Jurong Town Corporation (JTC).

Speaking at the inauguration, Kai Onn shared how EDB and other Singapore government agencies are working together with companies like BASF to foster the growth of the agricultural sector for the benefit of both Singapore and the entire region. “EDB is delighted to be at the inauguration of BASF’s new Agricultural Solutions regional production site. Through job roles such as process technicians, engineers, production planners and quality assurance chemists, this facility gives Singaporeans and residents opportunities to participate in the global agri-food value chain and contribute to safe, nutritious and affordable crops in our region.

This facility was constructed under a challenging environment in the midst of a global pandemic. Its successful unveiling today reflects Singapore’s commitment to being a stable investment destination, a reliable manufacturing hub for specialty chemicals and a strategic location for companies to build a more responsive and resilient supply chain for their customers in Asia.”

 The new €40 million site will serve

Agrotech, Company News, Seeds

All new varieties feature Enlist E3 technology to combat difficult weeds and will be available for the 2023 growing season.

Xitavo soybean seed, distributed exclusively by BASF, is offering 10 new soybean varieties for the upcoming year. With these additions, the Xitavo seed portfolio includes a total of 39 varieties.

All new varieties feature Enlist E3 technology to combat difficult weeds and will be available for the 2023 growing season. Xitavo soybean seed is owned by M.S. Technologies and solely distributed by BASF.

These new varieties support versatility and include the Enlist E3 triple-stack herbicide-tolerant trait to give farmers confidence in their soybean weed control program. They have been extensively tested and evaluated by our leading team of agronomists to ensure the seed rises above and beyond industry standard.

Xitavo soybean seed is designed with the understanding that a high-performing crop starts below the ground. Enlist E3 soybeans offer growers an advanced herbicide-tolerant trait technology with maximum flexibility and convenience.

BASF provides growers with support that extends beyond the field. Seed agronomists and agronomic solutions advisors consult with crop protection, technical service and seed treatment field representatives to give growers customized advice and recommendations for their field. These representatives also collaborate with consultants and university Extension specialists to capture, evaluate and summarize variety information.

All new varieties feature Enlist E3 technology

Agri Genomics, Company News

As part of this agreement, Corteva and MS Technologies have licensed the Enlist E3 soybean trait to BASF for development with the NRS trait in BASF germplasm

Corteva Agriscience, BASF and MS Technologies recently announced that they have entered into a mutually beneficial trait licensing agreement to develop next-generation Enlist E3 soybeans with the nematode resistant soybean (NRS) trait for farmers in the United States and Canada.

As part of this agreement, Corteva and MS Technologies have licensed the Enlist E3 soybean trait to BASF for development with the NRS trait in BASF germplasm. BASF has licensed its NRS trait to Corteva and MS Technologies for use in Enlist E3 soybeans. The three companies anticipate commercialisation of Enlist E3 soybean varieties containing the NRS trait in the late 2020s, pending applicable regulatory reviews and completion of field testing.

The new NRS trait is expected to provide unprecedented protection against nematode pests in soybeans, including soybean cyst nematode (SCN).

“Our nematode resistant soybean trait will be the first commercially available biotechnology trait developed to control nematodes,” said Linda Trolinder, Senior Vice President of BASF Seeds and Traits R&D. “BASF is in its 5th year of advanced field testing the NRS trait in the US and in our trials, it has demonstrated an average 8 per cent yield benefit above today’s SCN-resistant varieties.”

The Enlist weed control system is an industry-leading system for soybeans, corn and cotton. Enlist E3 soybeans are tolerant to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides, giving farmers additional options to manage resistant and hard-to-control weeds.

As part of this agreement, Corteva and

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Europe

BASF continues to invest in digital services for sustainable agriculture, in line with the European Green Deal

 BASF acquired Horta S.r.l., an Italian company specialized in digital farming solutions. Founded in 2008 as a spin-off of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Horta is an established player for the development of highly innovative agronomic Decision Support Systems (DSS) for crops such as grapes, tomatoes, cereals and olives.

With the acquisition, which comes after a long-standing partnership between the two companies, Horta will continue to operate on the market with the current organization and management and its well-established brand in the agri-food market to ensure business continuity.

The agricultural sector increasingly relies on digital farming services, which optimize the use of production factors and enable sustainable and precision agriculture. With this transaction, BASF Agricultural Solutions confirms its commitment to expanding its portfolio, by investing in digital solutions that support the work of farmers and make agriculture more productive and environmentally friendly.

“We, at BASF, strongly believe that innovation and digitalization are the key factors to support sustainable yields and contribute to the targets of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy”, said Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Senior Vice President, Agricultural Solutions EMEA & CIS. “BASF strives to leverage the growth potential and opportunities of digitalization toward the benefit of our customers. In this regard, Horta is complementary to our digital farming portfolio. I am therefore very pleased to welcome the entire Horta team, who brings along profound digital know-how and a very unique technological offer.”

As an Italian agro-tech leader in smart agri-food solutions, Horta is a prime example of transferring innovation from R&D and universities to agricultural practice.

 Pierluigi Meriggi, President and Founding Partner of Horta said, “Together with BASF, we pursue a consistent growth path for the next years.” Franco Anelli, Rector of the Catholic University underlined: “BASF’s interest in Horta, one of our spin-off companies, is a significant recognition of the quality and the innovative nature of our research activities. It also confirms the scope of our researchers of the Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences Faculty to combine scientific expertise with a deep understanding of the needs of the agri-food value chain, and with the skills necessary to develop operational proposals. This embodies the sense of responsibility and care for the environment that inspires our Faculty. The partnership bears witness to the quality of our graduates and PhDs, whose skills and competencies have contributed to the development of Horta.”

BASF continues to invest in digital services