Bee Vectoring Technologies files new patent for computer-controlled honeybee hive dispenser system

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “Company” or “BVT”) (TSXV: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) yesterday announced that it has filed an international patent application for the latest version of its honeybee hive dispenser system that the Company has tested and is bringing to market. This application strengthens the patent protection for the honeybee system by building on the previously filed application. This system is computer-controlled, enabling metered and uniform delivery of plant protection products to crops using commercial honeybees. This is the latest product addition to BVT’s natural precision agriculture system. Patents are one of BVT’s key strategies to ensure legal protection as the Company continues its post-US EPA approval commercial expansion.

“The agricultural industry is in the midst of a new green revolution, and the Company’s more cost effective and highly targeted delivery systems will assist with the increased adoption of new biological compounds currently being developed to replace more chemicals. The cost to growers will be reduced as only minimal amounts of natural product is required, less than 1% of the amount used in conventional spraying, since bee vectoring enables the delivery of product to where it will do the most good, the blooms,” says Ashish Malik, CEO of Bee Vectoring Technologies.

The new honeybee system is part of BVT’s growth strategy to increase its addressable market fully to include the entire estimated 2.5 million⁽¹⁾ commercial bee hives in the US and 91 million⁽²⁾ worldwide. Leveraging both honeybee and bumblebee systems extends the Company’s market reach of crops in all markets, which means the Company can address 100% of the bee vectoring market for flowering crops. This includes high volume crops such as almonds, sunflowers and apples and high value crops such as blueberries, melons, strawberries and raspberries.

“For the Company’s continued commercial sales efforts in the US following the EPA approval this past summer, the initial BVT system is designed for use with bumblebee hives and is currently being marketed for crops grown east of the Rockies – where we’ve already announced a number of grower deal successes. This new honeybee system is critical for BVT’s immediate market expansion into western US, where there are currently no commercial bumblebees approved for sale either for pollination or bee vectoring,” adds Mr. Malik.

A third of all the food we eat depends on pollinators like honeybees, and they play an essential role in global food production, where 75%⁽³⁾ of commercially grown crops require pollination. Honeybees are already used to pollinate close to $20 billion⁽⁴⁾ worth of large-acre outdoor crops in the US. In California alone, there are almost a million acres of almond trees that rely on approximately a million honeybee hives every year. This new honeybee delivery system, along with BVT’s proprietary crop protection products, represents a significant market opportunity for the company with its own biological product and other partners.”

BVT continues to pursue an aggressive IP strategy, with over 65 patents granted worldwide and over 35 pending, including the new honeybee system. Consisting of six patent families, the patents cover North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

“Secured patents safeguard the Company’s competitive advantage,” continued Mr. Malik. “And since most companies prefer to work with proprietary and patent-protected technologies, they allow us to develop vital partnerships with those interested in introducing our system to growers worldwide, scaling our operations quickly and efficiently.”

(1) (2) Source:  FAO, United Nations, 2017 Statistics
(3) (4) Source: Global AgInvesting, www.globalaginvesting.com/saving-bees-saving-ourselves/