Exosect Joins The International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) Task Force

IBMA was created in 1995 to represent the views of biological control producers, such as manufacturers, research organisations, extension services, consultants, distributors, all contributing to the development of biocontrol and participating in IBMA activities.

Explains Managing Director of Exosect, Martin Brown, "Under the EU agricultural/plant protection directive 91/414, each active ingredient needs a separate Annex 1 listing in Europe and each product using the pheromone needs to be registered meaning that every manufacturer has to provide separate registration dossiers for each active and also for each product, even if in our case, we are just using the listed pheromones within our own products."

David Cary, the Exosect representative for the IBMA and the Task Force comments, "Now being part of the task force group, and with all the members working together, we have been able to submit one dossier between all the manufacturers for all SCLP pheromones, thereby sharing the cost of European registration and giving all members easy access to information on the listed pheromones. This will enable us all to register our crop protection products more efficiently for use across Europe."

Robin Sheppard, Head of IBMA's Semiochemicals Working Group and the Pheromones Task Force coordinator comments, "The Biocontrol industry is growing fast. It can offer safe and cost-effective solutions to growers with the corresponding benefits to the environment/society. The group provides a forum for members to discuss these solutions and other issues of common interest. We are delighted to welcome Exosect to the Task Force and look forward to working with them to promote the concept of biological control methods in sustainable agriculture and in the treatment of amenity and non-cultivated areas."