Bee Vectoring Technologies expands reach with Mexican approval

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (BVT) has announced that its proprietary Vectorite with Clonostachys Rosea CR-7 (CR-7) has received approval from Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) for use as a fungicide on commercial crops. This approval allows for the delivery of CR-7 using both bumblebees and honeybees on various high-value crops, including berries and indoor vegetables.

Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT, emphasized that this regulatory approval in Mexico aligns with the company’s strategy to expand its market reach geographically. “With US EPA approval secured in 2019, adding COFEPRIS approval in Mexico significantly increases the market opportunity for our proprietary biological fungicide,” Malik stated.

Mexico presents a substantial market for BVT’s natural precision agriculture system. In 2019, the country produced 41,600 acres of strawberries, 12,100 acres of blueberries, and over 377,000 acres of tomatoes and peppers. That same year, the U.S. imported fresh and processed fruits and vegetables from Mexico valued at $15.6 billion. While the country spends approximately $1.3 billion annually on pesticides, there is a growing trend among Mexican growers to adopt biological alternatives that enhance quality, improve food safety, and reduce reliance on chemical products.

Malik further noted that BVT is well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity, mentioning that the company had already completed demos with some berry growers in Mexico. With the registration now secured, he believed that BVT was in a strong position to establish a commercial partnership to bring their system to the Mexican market. Malik highlighted Mexico as a strategic market, particularly because its growers are focused on export and are keen to adopt low- or no-chemical solutions to combat diseases and increase crop yields.

The COFEPRIS registration makes Vectorite with CR-7 immediately available for sale as a registered fungicide for use on the approved crops. The approval also offers Mexican growers a competitive advantage, especially given that CR-7 is classified as exempt from residue tolerance in the U.S.

In addition to this recent milestone, BVT has made significant strides over the past year, including initiating trials in Spain with Agrobío, partnering with MBFi in South Africa, and achieving its first sale of CR-7 to BioSafe Systems. Inspired by successful results from a Michigan State University trial, BVT plans to replicate these trials in the coming years to further validate the efficacy of CR-7.