Business
ThermoPotash Approved for Use on Organic Crops by IBD Certifications
TORONTO , Nov. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Verde Potash (TSX: "NPK") ("Verde" or the "Company")...
About this update from Verde Agritech Ltd
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\nTORONTO, Nov. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Verde Potash (TSX: \"NPK\") (\"Verde\" or the \"Company\") is pleased to announce that the\n Company's ThermoPotash (\"TK\") product has been approved for use on\n organic crops by IBD Certifications, the largest certifier in Latin\n America and Brazil. KCl is not certified for use on organic crops and\n is therefore not an option for organic farmers.\n\n\nOrganic crops sell for a premium price, which leads organic farmers to\n devote significant resources to accredited crop inputs that drive\n higher yields. The market for Brazilian organic products in 2012 was\n valued at approximately R$750 million (US$385 million), according to\n Instituto de Promocao do Desenvolvimento (\"IPD\"). IPD predicts sales\n growth for this market of 20-25% per year over the next five years,\n with 2014 sales of R$1 billion (US$440 million). Principle organic\n crops in Brazil include sugar, palm oil, fruits and juices.\n\n\nCommenting, President and CEO, Cristiano Veloso, said: \"We are very\n pleased to have secured this important recognition from IBD\n Certifications. It will allow us to offer ThermoPotash to the growing\n number of organic crop producers in Brazil. Organic farms produce a\n premium product, and are therefore willing and able to pay some of the\n highest prices for crop inputs. Verde's ThermoPotash will offer organic\n farmers an attractive value proposition from a local Brazilian\n supplier.\"\n\n\nThermoPotash is a controlled release, multi-nutrient fertilizer. It has\n been tailored to deliver potassium, calcium and silicon (among other\n nutrients), making it ideally suited for Brazilian soils. Calcium\n increases the pH level of soils, thereby addressing the high acidity\n found throughout most of the Cerrado region. In 2012, Brazilian farmers\n spent hundreds of millions of dollars applying approximately 30 million\n tonnes of limestone in order to address soil acidity. Silicon improves\n plants' resistance to insects and fungus - an important consideration\n for organic farmers who cannot use most agrochemicals. In June 2013\n ThermoPotash was accredited by Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture as a\n potash fertilizer, making it eligible for sale in Brazil.\n\n\nAbout IBD Certifications\n\n\nIBD Certifications is a Brazilian company that carries out agricultural,\n processing, wild harvest...