DuPont to commence MEA-wide launch of Coragen insecticide in Saudi Arabia

DuPont, one of the leading market-driven science companies, will hold several launch seminars in Saudi Arabia in late October 2009 in coordination with local distributor Al Jammaz to jumpstart the introduction of its fast-acting Coragen® insecticide across the Middle East –Africa region.

Saudi Arabia’s agricultural products and technologies market is the largest in the Middle East, posting a steady annual growth of 8 per cent. DuPont already offers popular pest control products in the Kingdom such as the cross-spectrum Avaunt® insecticide. With its low toxicity and high insecticidal potency, Coragen® promises to significantly enhance the integrated pest management (IPM) capabilities of the country and help further grow its burgeoning agri-products trade.

"Food security is one of the key agendas of the MEA region, which is why countries such as Saudi Arabia invest heavily on crop protection products and technologies. We chose the Kingdom as our launching platform because of its huge agriculture market, which allows us to expose a large number of potential users to our latest superior pest control product. Coragen® is also an excellent addition to our strategy of preventing pest resistance to insecticides,” said Philippe Cattan, Business Manager – Crop Protection, Middle East/North Africa Region, Dupont.

Coragen® causes target pests to stop feeding within minutes of ingestion, inducing feeding cessation 24 to 126 times faster than commercial standards. The insecticide uses DuPont’s Rynaxypyr® compound to cause uncontrolled release and loss of internal calcium, leading to almost instant paralysis in pests. Coragen will be used on alfalfa, potato, grape, tomato, pepper and other vegetable and field crops in Saudi Arabia in alternation with products such as Avaunt® to enhance pest control and better manage insecticide resistance.

The crop protection product complements Saudi Arabia’s sustainability and safety policies as it is highly effective and long-lasting at low use rates, does not harm the food chain, and is compatible with local IPM and Integrated Resources Management programs. It is currently sold in Turkey and Oman and will soon be available in Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, and other key regional markets. Coragen will be distributed locally via Al Jammaz.

Founded in 1802, DuPont uses science to create sustainable solutions for a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 80 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation, apparel, and agriculture, The company’s Crop Protection unit serves 26 markets in the Middle East and Africa, offering more than 12 leading pest control products in the Saudi Arabian segment alone.