AUSTRALIA- Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd. (CBH Group), Australia’s largest grain exporter, has signed a collaborative agreement with Universal Biosecurity Ltd. (UBL), to co-develop ethyl formate solutions for sustainable and cost-effective pest control intended for use within the CBH Group supply chain.
UBL developed its patented ethyl formate-based Fume 8 technology as a cost-effective time-saving solution to current widely used fumigation methods using methyl bromide, which players across the globe are now phasing out.
According to UBL, the Fume 8 technology proves to be highly effective on insects that can potentially cause widespread damage across the agriculture industry.
Craig McLure, head of grain technology for CBH, said the agreement looks to expand CBH’s suite of clean and environmentally safe insect treatment options to ensure CBH continues to meet its customers’ and markets’ requirements for chemical residues on grain.
“As the country’s largest grain exporter, we are continually looking for ways to sustainably improve our operational processes and to ensure we are adhering to and exceeding the most stringent environmental standards and our export markets’ chemical residue limits,” he said.
According to Tom Puddy, CEO of UBL, the agreement marked a significant milestone in UBL’s history and potentially paves the way for further growth and development of its groundbreaking, patented technology.
“The agreement signifies CBH Group’s commitment to work with us to refine our technology further to ensure it is fit for purpose and delivers on its significant environmental promises,” he commented.
Puddy said UBL’s strategy is to develop “technology application solutions” across industries experiencing logistical bottlenecks when moving cargo and raw materials to locations that cross biosecurity boundaries.
“The international grain supply chain, along with other supply chains, is currently being challenged by major weather events and environmental fluctuations as well as attempting to counter the impact of geopolitical instability such as the ongoing war in Ukraine,” he said.
According to him, these factors will continue to cause ongoing supply issues and shortages globally and could potentially lead to impactful delays in getting raw materials to growing demand markets.
“This agreement allows both parties to work together to deliver world-class, sustainable technology solutions that, if developed successfully, will have commercial applications across multiple markets in Australia, North, and South America, the European Union, and closer to home with major producers across the Asian region,” he adds.
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