nisBOERE Interview
In discussion with Wilma Mac Pherson – Technical Portfolio Manager

1. In a nutshell, please tell us who is Andermatt Madumbi

   Andermatt Madumbi is passionate about people and the environment. We want to help every person have access to healthy, wholesome food and a healthy environment. We do this through scientifically substantiated biorational (Biorational is derived from the two words biological and rational, referring to pesticides of natural origin that have limited or no adverse effects on the environment or beneficial organisms. ) bringing solutions to the market. In a nutshell, we are a purely biologically focused company that has been developing, registering and marketing products for large and small scale horticulture, forestry, nurseries and the home garden for the past 18 years.

   Andermatt Madumbi is part of a multinational group of companies under the banner of Andermatt Global. For the Andermatt group, it all started 33 years ago when Drs Martin and Isabel Andermatt in Switzerland developed viruses against insect pests – using nature’s own keeping mechanisms in check to achieve food security for us. They were joined by several companies, including Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture, as we were known in South Africa before our brand changed. The group currently consists of 25 subsidiary companies that have a countervailing presence in almost every continent. Out of this group, there are 9 companies that develop, manufacture and distribute high-quality biological products. There are quite a few companies in Europe that are focusing on the home and garden market to make our dream of healthy food and a healthy environment a reality for everyone and are active in 10 different countries. Bees are also of interest to us and we are involved in 8 countries regarding health – but crop protection still makes up the bulk of our group’s business.

2. Andermatt Madumbi works with nature to help develop market-leading biological solutions – Tell us about this?

   Nature is our greatest teacher. I believe that for every problem there is a solution in nature. For many years, researchers have focused on making nature’s solutions useful against pests and pests. We speak of biological control when we use one organism to control or kill another. For us to successfully harness these organisms, we need to know all about the biological control organism, the target pest or pathogen, and the crop or plant attacked by the pest or pathogen. We also need to know what environmental conditions are essential for the biological control organism to be effective. This is where Andermatt Madumbi plays a critical role. We do not only focus on developing the product, but on conveying information regarding the product in such a way that makes these products work on every farmer’s farm. These products are significantly more complicated than conventional plant protection products. To use them successfully, sometimes take a mind shift on the farmer’s side. For example, biological solutions do not always have an immediate knock-out action on insects and it is important to make sure the farmer understands what to expect after applications.

3. Andermatt Madumbi helps solve some of the most pressing questions in the modern agricultural environment, such as food safety and food security – Can you share more about this?

   Andermatt Madumbi has a business development platform consisting of two sections. Firstly, the commercial side – this is where our bio-specialists move into the field and bring our solutions to market. Secondly, there is the Product Portfolio Management side. This part of the business develops our new product for our pipeline, we select and select products before we then transition and tackle all the registration and further development. Our aim is to bring effective, well-researched products to market that help with resistance management, and also to keep the chemical plant protection solutions currently available to our farmers for as long as possible.

   Our farmers don’t have it easy. Exports make up a large portion of our farmers’ business. With the big drive towards healthier, low or no residue food we allow export markets less and less traditionally chemical plant protection products on the fruits and vegetables they import. Agriculture is currently losing more active molecules annually than new ones are being developed. And it’s not like the pests and diseases that plague our farmers are diminishing. On the contrary. Now put the competition with other countries for the same market, and you create a very competitive environment. Andermatt Madumbi looked at the total crop solution basket available to the farmer. We strategically look at where these gaps are and will be in the future, and then look for biological solutions to address these gaps. We are looking at the complete integrated pest control programme and working with the existing plant protection solutions to ensure the producer his market access. Biological products are not easy products to work with.

4. What is Andermatt Madumbi’s best-selling product/s?

   We currently have three products competing for the best-selling price. First, it’s Cryptex. Cryptex is developed and is manufactured by Andermatt Biocontrol, the company that Martin and Isabel Andermatt started. This is a South African Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus specific to false codling moths. Cryptex has been in the market for over 13 years now. This is a very effective FCM population control drug.

   Our sister company, Andermatt PHP,’s product Eco-Bb is our second bestseller candidate. Andermatt PHP develops and manufactures fungus-based biological products. Eco-Bb consists of a local isolate of Beauveria bassiana, a fungus that attacks and kills a wide range of insects. It is an exceptional formulation that easily goes into a tank mix and can be applied with various products.

   We will be looking for our solutions worldwide to the problems we face in South Africa. We work closely with quite a few strategic partners outside the Andermatt Global group. One of these partners is Certis Biologicals. Our third best-selling candidate is Double Nickel 55 or also known as Amylo-X. It consists of a bacterium, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which colonizes plant supreme flaps very well and attacks pathogens and outcompetes. This is particularly effective on above-ground plant parts where UV can affect many other biological control agents.

5. Also What area does Andermatt Madumbi provide

   We distribute through strategic partners throughout South Africa. We have bio-specialists who assist our distributors to successfully use the solutions in their area.

6. What makes Andermatt Madumbi different?
   What makes us different is that we really focus on how quality, well-researched products that seem to us directly draw to its consistent effectiveness in the field. But I also think our passion for people makes us unique. We are a big family at Andermatt Madumbi and we really want to help our farmers on this path. Biological products have a very bad name in the field because of snake venom vendors or Buddah dust, as some also call it. Because it is made up of microorganisms, many think it is easy to grow them up in your backyard and then use them. For disease and insect control biological agents this is precisely not the case. We want to make sure we only apply the specific organism at high enough amounts to be able to suppress the plague or disease.

7. Any advice for emerging farmers?
   Advice for our emerging farmers – Do your homework. Make sure that the products you use are registered, backed by science and well supported by your supplier and manufacturer.

In our field, the smallest players are the biggest heroes