Hydrolyzed proteins of animal origin are the raw material with which the Italian firm Sicit Group has made a name for itself in the world of agricultural bioinputs. In fact, the company founded in 1960 in the Chiampo region was one of the pioneers at a global level in developing this segment.
However, the firm has sought to diversify its sources of inputs, for which it has targeted the plant world. Specifically, algae, whose extracts make up the segment of biostimulants most used globally. Sicit's decision to incorporate plant biostimulants into its offering is explained by the "new era of biostimulants 2.0," says Fabio Agnolon, commercial director (CCO) of the Italian group.
«Before, there were macro categories of biostimulants; now there are more developed products that are mixtures of different sources. We are confident in developing pure algae on the one hand, and on the other, products that are a combination of algae with amino acids,» adds Agnolon. Convinced that the combination of biostimulants has a superior synergistic effect, the group is already developing a line of these products.
In order to make its entry into plant-based biologics, Sicit Group, controlled by the NB Renaissance and Intesa Holding funds, analyzed and evaluated this type of biostimulants in different parts of the world. After obtaining the results of their evaluations, they decided to purchase 51% from the algae extract company based in southern Chile, Patagonia Biotechnology (PatBio).
“This partnership is the result of many years of research and development, after evaluating a large number of different algae extracts, where those from Patagonia Biotechnology turned out to be the best. What we expect from this alliance is the synergy between our products and between our teams to achieve important results for agriculture,” says Chiara Pituello, Head of Agricultural R&D at Sicit Group.
Expected growth
The products of PatBio, based in Puerto Montt in southern Chile, are made primarily from the brown algae "Macrocystis Pyrifera». To date, the company has been sourcing seaweed collected by divers who cut the seaweed without uprooting it, to allow it to replenish without disturbing the seabed.
Co-founded by Guatemalan entrepreneur Rebeca Gálvez, who has been living in Chile for several years, and her three partners Claudio Fernández, David Hockley and Marcelo Brintrup, PatBio is now part of the Italian group with which they have been working together since June.
Currently, PatBio has around 300 clients in Chile, ranging from large agricultural export companies to small farmers. Its biostimulants are used in a wide range of crops such as table and wine grapes, blueberries, citrus, avocados, hazelnuts, walnuts, potatoes and even traditional crops and pastures.
Last year, PatBio had a turnover of around US$1.4 million and is projecting an annual growth of US$3.1-4.0 million after the alliance with Sicit Group, which will allow its products to be brought to more than 80 countries. “We believe that there will be great synergy between our teams, which, despite being different, have the same objectives of contributing to a more sustainable and at the same time profitable agriculture. We are very optimistic that this synergy will be fantastic for both parties,” says Rebeca Gálvez, co-founder and CEO of PatBio.
