Biobest Moves to Take Full Ownership of Biological Control Production in Morocco

BioFirst Group's Biobest division has agreed to take full ownership of its biological control agents production business in Morocco, increasing its stake in Biobest Maroc from 50 percent to 100 percent.

The transaction remains subject to approval by Morocco's Competition Council. The production company is located in the Chtouka Ait Baha region near Agadir, one of Morocco's most important horticultural production areas.

Biobest Maroc produces beneficial insects used in biological crop protection. The group's separate Moroccan commercial entity will continue operating without change under the announced structure.

The deal deepens Biobest's control over a production base that supports growers using integrated pest management and biological alternatives to conventional crop protection. Morocco's greenhouse and high value horticulture sectors make the region commercially important for those technologies.

BioFirst said full ownership is intended to reinforce supply of biological solutions and support further development of its regional operations. The company already has a long standing presence in Morocco.

For the biological crop protection industry, local production capacity can be strategically important because many beneficial organisms are living products with handling, quality and delivery requirements that differ from conventional chemical inputs.