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SHS and Devgen obtain registration approval for a new premium hybrid rice variety in Indonesia

09/07/2012

Devgen nv (Euronext Brussels: DEVG), the agro-biotech company that shapes the field of hybrid rice in India and Southeast Asia and innovates in crop protection technologies, and PT Sang Hyang Seri (Persero) (SHS), the government owned seed company in Indonesia, today announced that they have been granted registration for the commercial sale in Indonesia of DG 5 SHS, a new premium hybrid rice seed.

The new product is particularly well adapted to the subtropical climate prevailing in Indonesia. It generates exceptional yields compared to local inbred varieties and meets the needs of farmers by delivering the right grain quality and taste (locally known as “pulen”) as well as disease tolerance. The registration of DG 5 SHS therefore represents an important step in strengthening the offer of premium hybrid rice seeds to growers in Indonesia and supports the ambition of the Indonesian government to guarantee food security in the country.

The new seed will be distributed in Indonesia under both the Frontline brand of Devgen and the SHS brand. Sales of the product are scheduled to start from fourth quarter of 2012.Pilot seed production is currently ongoing in Indonesia. Devgen and SHS already distribute two premium hybrid rice seeds that, since their first sales in 2010, have established a good track record with the Indonesian farmer. Both deliver substantial yield improvements in wet and dry seasons and have the taste profile desired by Indonesian consumers.

Bapak Eddy Budiono, President Director of SHS said: “PT Sang Hyang Seri is pleased to have brought, in collaboration with Devgen, high yielding, well adapted, pulen and aromatic hybrid rice seeds to the Indonesian farmers. We expect DG 5 SHS to build on this track record to the further financial benefit of the farmers and to support government policy to increase the country's rice production by 10 million tons in 2014.”

“The registration of DG 5 SHS is another important step forward and demonstrates Devgen’s and SHS joint commitment to apply their technology and expertise to deliver a portfolio of products adapted to growing conditions and farmer needs in Indonesia,” said Thierry Bogaert, CEO of Devgen.

Rice is the most important food crop in Indonesia, a country of around 245 million inhabitants. The crop is grown on a total of approximately 13.2 million hectares of which only 3 to 4% is planted with hybrid rice, compared to 60% in China. The total potential market volume if hybrid seed becomes widely adopted in Indonesia is over 100,000 tons of seed.

About Devgen nv

Devgen is shaping the field of hybrid rice in India and Southeast Asia and helps farmers meet the productivity increases needed to grow more food on less land using less water, labour and agrochemicals. Thereto, Devgen is using advanced biotechnology and molecular breeding technology to develop next generation hybrid rice seeds:

• Devgen is developing the next generation of hybrid rice, improving yield, seed productivity, grain quality, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Devgen strongly believes that this hybrid rice technology has the potential to drive the accelerated conversion of conventional rice to hybrid rice.
• Anticipating the need to increase insect resistance and drought/heat tolerance in rice to a level that is beyond what can be achieved with traditional breeding, Devgen is creating a portfolio of biotech traits using own technology as well as in-licensed technologies.
• Devgen has established an integrated seed business in India and Southeast Asia through which its rice crops and technologies reach the market. In India, Devgen has complemented its hybrid rice business with geographically and seasonally complementary crops: hybrid sorghum, pearl millet and sunflower.

Devgen innovates in crop protection research and environment induced stress tolerance for its own crops and provides technology to corporate partners. Since 1997, Devgen has conducted pioneering research in RNAi-based crop protection applications and has developed enabling technology, RNAi sprays and RNAi-based biotech traits for itself and on behalf of corporate partners.

In its Crop Protection unit, Devgen has developed a novel nematicide, an agro-chemical product that protects crops from damage by parasitic nematodes and has superior environmental and worker exposure profile compared to existing solutions. This product is currently sold in Turkey and was recently introduced on the market in the US.

Incorporated in 1997, Devgen has offices in Ghent (Belgium), and has subsidiaries in Singapore, Hyderabad (India), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), General Santos (the Philippines) and Delaware (US), totaling over 250 staff.

Source: Devgen