South Africa leads the way

I noted the article entitled ‘Biological bollworm control’ (11 May 2012, pg 35) and I felt compelled to respond.

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Your interviewee is quoted as calling Bolldex the “new kid on the biolgicals block”. I must inform you that there is a South African company which introduced and registered a virtually identical product more than two years ago. Not to detract from the good work which the Swiss company in question is doing, in this case it is following in the footsteps of what has already been done by a proudly South African company.

The South African company was in fact the first South African company to produce and register a virus here (in 2004) and was until recently (now joined by a Kenyan company), the only African company commercially producing a virus for control of an insect pest. I understand this company has more biological ‘firsts’ in the pipeline.

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