In the Republic of Turkey, legislators have mandated DNA-tagging of all domestically produced fertilizer by January 1, 2018, and secure packaging, including the use of secured bar codes which could possibly be enabled by the platform recently commercialized through the Videojet and Applied DNA collaboration. This mandate comes in response to a series of acts of terror that utilized fertilizer-based explosives in Turkey in 2016. Applied DNA has been in communication with Turkish fertilizer manufacturers since early 2016 and to the Company’s knowledge, is the only company to have publicly demonstrated the capacity to tag fertilizer at scale and successfully track it through all aspects of the supply chain. As of this date, the Company has no specific orders from Turkey. Applied DNA is also developing a method it believes will allow detection of fertilizer tags, even after an explosion. This would allow governments and law enforcement to track the origins of fertilizers used in improvised explosive devices.
“The introduction of our technology platform to these additional geographies that cumulatively represent the majority of world demand for fertilizer is a clear demonstration of our ability to service large commercial ecosystems,” said Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA. “From textiles to the biopharma industry and now fertilizer, our technology platform is increasingly being viewed by supply chain participants as strategic to their business goals.“
Tony Benson, managing director of Applied DNA in Europe, stated, “Tracking fertilizers in a large, complex commercial ecosystem is an unmet demand required by farmers and governments, especially those dependent upon their agro economies. Our solution is practical, and readily implemented.”
Continued Mr. Benson, ”The impact of our technology and the significant benefits to at-risk families in countries where many people are already disadvantaged cannot be over-estimated. People are starving and economies are suffering due to the blatant cheating that is taking place of which there are many published examples of fertilizers being adulterated leading to crop failures. We are delighted and humbled to be part of a technical solution that will positively change the wellbeing of so many people.”
