FBSciences Launches Ambitious Plan in South America

Courtenay Wolfe, CEO of the Tennessee-based biologics company, explains its plans in the region after establishing a subsidiary in Brazil. 

F. Aldunate M. 

Although the origin of her business is the United States and her factories are in Europe, Courtenay Wolfe has concrete and ambitious plans for South America. "The region must become our fastest growing market in the next two to three years," says the CEO of FBSciences, a well-known agricultural biologicals firm based in Collierville, Tennessee.

The company founded in 2007 is already taking its first steps to achieve these goals. In mid-April it announced that it will start a company and begin product registrations in Brazil before the 2022-2023 growing season. The establishment of FBSciences Brazil follows nearly 15 years of research and trials on South American crops, as well as registration processes and the creation of commercial activities in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Peru.

The Latin American strategy is key to maintaining a growth rate that surpasses the dynamic bio-input sector, where the firm is present with stimulants, as well as with fertilizers and protection, targeting both extensive and intensive crops.

Fifteen years ago, the industry was in its infancy, today it is a $10.5 billion industry, expanding at a 14% CAGR and expected to grow to $25 billion by 2027
Courtenay Wolfe, CEO of FBSciences

“Hace 15 años, la industria estaba en su infancia. Hoy, el mercado de bioinsumos es una industria de US$ 10,500 millones que crece a 14% y que podría llegar a US$ 25.000 millones en 2027”, dice Wolfe. Ella compara este crecimiento con las soluciones tradicionales de protección y nutrición de cultivos, cuya expansión sitúa en 3%-4%.  “En la actualidad, estas industrias se enfrentan a graves presiones y retos medioambientales derivados de los efectos residuales de los anteriores avances en productividad”, dice. “Los biológicos agrícolas pueden ser una gran solución a este reto”.

The executive points out that her firm, however, is growing well above these sector dynamics. "FBSciences is growing at 33% CAGR over the last 5 years, roughly two and a half times the growth of the biologicals industry".

DISTRIBUTORS AND BLENDERS

Wolfe explica que FBSciences llega al mercado por dos caminos distintos. El primero es el trabajo que realizan con grandes comercializadores o distribuidores, los que revenden sus productos a los agricultores. “En segundo lugar, llegamos a fabricantes y mezcladores con nuestra línea llamada Pro Series, los que se convierten en un ingrediente dentro de sus líneas de productos existentes y proporcionan los poderosos efectos sinérgicos por los que son conocidas nuestras tecnologías”.

Explica que fabricantes locales de bioinsumos al agregar los productos Pro Series a sus formulaciones, las pueden hacer más eficientes, con menores tasas de uso y con mayor compatibilidad.  “Las tecnologías FBS son altamente sinérgicas con otros productos biológicos agrícolas y con los insumos tradicionales para los cultivos, lo que permite una gran cantidad de beneficios en combinación”, señala.

In her argument, she adds that by adding Pro Series products to their formulations, local bioinput manufacturers can make them more efficient, with lower use rates and greater compatibility. 

In fact, in its South American strategy, it is pursuing both: "First, and foremost we are looking for strong distribution partners to carry and promote our comprehensive line of products where we can ship the fully formulated products. A secondary opportunity is exploring relationships with blending partners who would do the blending for us and then those would be shipped to customers".

What is not in their plans is to manufacture in the region. "We would not bring our FBS Technologies manufacturing to South America, as these are sourced from nature and there only certain places around the world where we can manufacture them", says Wolfe. She adds that they are currently manufacturing their products in northern Europe, without specifying where, and that they are creating another plant in North America.

"We would not bring our FBS Technologies manufacturing to South America, as these are sourced from nature and there only certain places around the world where we can manufacture them".
Courtenay Wolfe, CEO of FBSciences

Founded 15 years ago, FBSciences has the financial strength to enter new markets. "We are private, profitable and well-funded and resourced to meet the growth opportunities in front of us", she says. "We have global presence. Our dominant market is the United States. However, we are commercialized in Australia, Europe, in China, and a little bit in India. Our plan is to really focus on the Latin American market, and we are also making a big push into the European market as well”."

Agrega que en los últimos años, Estados Unidos ha sido su mercado de más rápido crecimiento. “Aunque seguimos esperando un crecimiento significativo aquí, América Latina es un mercado enorme y creciente para los productos biológicos agrícolas y una gran área de interés para FBSciences”, dice. “En los próximos dos o tres años, América Latina debería convertirse en nuestro mercado de más rápido crecimiento y ser un porcentaje significativo de nuestro negocio en los próximos años”.

PRODUCTS AND TRIALS 

FBSciences will launch FBSciences Brazil with three initial products: their flagship product Transit Duo™, the zinc product Zicron™, and the seed treatment product designed specifically for soybeans, SuperSede™ Soybean.

Over the last 15 years, FBSciences has conducted 139 commercial and independent trials with collaborators and independent researchers in South America and has observed outstanding results on a wide variety of crops. These successful seed treatment trials show an average 4.2% increase in corn yield, an average 5.1% increase in soybean yield, and an average 10.8% increase in cotton yield, in addition to a range of other plant health and stress mitigation benefits. FBSciences has a great interest in these products.