Basf seeks partnership to expand researches in the sugar and alcohol sector
Valor Econômico 02/04/2009
"The last will be the first". It was using the Brazilian proverb that Basf Vice-President for Agricultural Products for Latin America defined the strategy of the company in the area of biotechnology. Walter Dissinger refers to the return of the German multinational to the researches with one of the most relevant agricultural products of the time: sugar cane. "We are studying partnerships", affirmed Dissinger to Valor. "We should have a position until the end of the year". Basf, thus, gives continuity to the process of expansion of the sector of seeds and defensives for researches with sugar-cane, started in 2008. In November, the North American giant Monsanto acquired the companies CanaVialis and Alellyx, from Votorantin Novos Negócios, both aimed at the genetic improvement and biotechnology with sugar-cane. Partnership, as always, is the key-word. Because of that, Basf wants to repeat the model considered a success with Embrapa, which resulted on a soy cultivar which is resistant to the herbicides of the chemical group of the imidazolinones. The new variety is waiting for the approval for sale from the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (NTCBio), and the company expects that it gets to the market in 2011. In the case of sugar-cane, the division of works will be the same. Basf will provide the gene and the chosen partner with the development of the genetically modified sugarcane. As a whole, what scientists do is choose some of these genes and insert them into the sugar-cane, until they find the one that best responds to the improvement desired - increase the productivity. In 1998, the multinational developed a specific branch for the genetic researches, Basf Plant Science, with its headquarter in Germany and offices in the USA, Canada and Belgium. The area is also among the five "clusters" of innovation of the international group, together with nanotechnology, energy management, white (industrial) biotechnology and the substitution of raw materials. Between 1998 and 2008, almost 1 billion Euros was invested in genetic researches. The forecast of future investments will be announced in a few weeks, after the company presents the results of 2008. Abroad, the multinational company has, among its partners, Monsanto, with which it develops water resistant and more productive varieties of corn, soy, cotton, canola and wheat. The expectation is that the first product should be available in 2015. Together the companies will invest US$ 1.5 billion. Vegetable biotechnology currently represents 23% of all investments in Research & Development (R&D) of Basf worldwide.