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Flamingo commits $2.4million investment to Dudutech expansion

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Flamingo Horticulture Investments (FHI Ltd), a Sun Capital Europe portfolio organisation, announced that they will make a further investment of USD 2.4Million in subsidiary business Dudutech, Africa’s leading Biological Pesticide Manufacturer.

Dudutech a is high growth biotechnology business in operation since 2001 that plays a critical role in allowing their many international and Kenyan customers and the Flamingo Group to farm sustainably and adhere to farming and produce regulations across the globe.

To provide farmers with sustainable solutions, Dudutech’s team of over 250 technicians, masters and doctorate level scientists manufacture insect-killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites, which are used as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy, where farmers combine pesticides and traditional synthetic chemical pesticides to tackle agricultural pests and diseases.

Dudutech will direct the additional funding towards expansion of production facilities at the biofactory site in Naivasha, Kenya, including an additional 4ha of greenhouses and an insectary. The project is aimed at increasing production capabilities to provide additional beneficial predatory insects availability to meet growth in demand for biologicals and satisfy the needs of major growers in Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Thomas Mason, Managing Director Dudutech says:

We are incredibly excited to see Flamingo Horticulture Investments backing Dudutech. The new investment will be used to further expand the company’s manufacturing capacity. Alongside this investment Dudutech will be recruiting into its management team, broadening its product range and increasing the scope of its international operations.

This investment will allow us to grow our services to our customers in Africa, Europe and the Americas and ensure availability of our beneficial predatory insects, especially during peak seasons, where demand has outstripped supply in the past.

Martin Hudson, CEO Flamingo Horticulture Investments comments:

Under the stewardship of an outstanding management team, we believe that Dudutech has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver on investment strategies, it now plays a critical role in the supply of insect killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites for farmers globally.

ABIM 2017: The Biggest Biocontrols Gathering – Ever

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Photo: David Cary, IBMA Executive Director said “We are constantly encouraged by the growth in visitor numbers this is a reflection of the Steering Committee’s continuing commitment to promoting a unique event showcasing innovation, excellence and professionalism in the industry.”

Dudutech was at the biggest gathering of the biocontrol industry ever, held in October this year. Tom Mason (Dudutech MD) and Barnaba Rotich (Dudutech Commercial Manager) were among the record-breaking delegation of 1050 people from over 500 companies at the 12th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) held in Basel, Switzerland.

Recent growth in the biocontrols industry correlates to strong growth in organic farming and. According to Lucius Tamm from Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), organic farming, despite having boomed by 455% in 17 years from 11 million ha to 50 million ha, provides a smaller market than conventional agriculture. This information hints at the optimism for the future of the industry as biocontrols move closer towards improving mainstream awareness and acceptability.

ABIM 2017 was also a platform for innovation, information and unprecedented face-to-face networking opportunities. The meeting provided an interactive audience of the world’s leading biological technology producers to 69 individual exhibitions and speeches from industry leaders. Tom Mason said the gathering provided a space for “cross pollination of ideas, commercial opportunities and alliances … in a single forum in Basel, Switzerland.”

Tom Mason went on to say, “it’s also an opportunity for members of the International Biological Manufacturers Association (IBMA) to meet and agree upon how this industry association will represent their voice with regulators and the broader industry. Since the formation of the parent association Bio Protection Global (BPG) in 2014 the board of BPG also congregates to discuss the broader global industry challenges and opportunities. As 2018 president of Bio Protection Global I am trying to drive the success of BPG in a similar fashion to the chemical industry association Crop Life International and we hope to make good progress during the course of 2018, alongside Board Chair Rick Melnick the Brand Manager for Vlaent Bioscienes.”