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From 2mo ago
EL NIÑO IS COMING BACK...
and this is not a good news.
After 3 years of weather stress with La Niña effect, scientists confirmed that El Niño is coming back until October 2023.
Important crop regions that suffered with severe drought, will face intense rain and high temperatures. And the other way round too.
Agriculture has never been easy, but adverse climate pattern is turning it even more difficult and unstable.
Plant Health Care, Inc. has technologies that allows sustainable agriculture under biotics and non-biotics challenges, without harm to food, humans and environment.
Learn more about La Niña and El Niño effects on global agriculture and count on PHC to produce more with higher quality.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/plant-health-care-inc_what-are-el-nino-and-la-nina-activity-7057438333915848704-WOPE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Better example
Despite the adverse weather circumstances (heat, humidity, some storm), the images show the excellent conditions of the rice crop treated with ProAct®aa -gives a plus of profitability- and PREzym™ -optimal crop-. The photos correspond to the variety J. Sendra and have been taken in Sueca (Valencia). ProAct®aa + PREzym™
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/plant-health-care-uk_pese-a-las-circunstancias-climatol%C3%B3gicas-activity-7082358782999019520-u5lz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
This from two days ago in Spain;
"Rice field Provisia system in Sueca (Valencia). On the right, rice field treated with ProAct®aa and PREzym™ at the time of broadleaf herbicide treatment, compared to untreated field (on the left). We have better vegetative and general state and much more plant uniformity"
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/plant-health-care-uk_campo-de-arroz-sistema-provisia-en-sueca-activity-7084861473126068224-2uXJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Its a worrying situation for all, extreme heat which seems to be intensifying year on year.
I would expect some overall stress benefit using ProAct and Myconate but this heat maybe a bit extreme, might be worth while checking any feedback from EDAF via social media.
Looks like the Cerberus heatwave across Spain and Italy will be giving PREzym and ProAct a baptism of fire in Southern Europe. If these products protect trial crops in the searing heat (and they will), farmers will be hooked.
Time to push the heat angle in Europe PHC.
Roll on H1 results.
https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/07/13/cerberus-heatwave-why-is-it-so-hot-in-europe-and-how-long-will-it-last
Agree Jeff T comes across well as CEO with a sense of what needs to be done to restore investor confidence.
The science and/or product is good as evidenced with an increase in recent sales volumes, it’s just taken a lot, lot longer to get there.
Definitely a ‘wait and see’ approach which should change if forecasts are hit consistently, I noted also the tone in recent releases has firmed;
“We are on track to achieve our target of $30m revenue in 2025, aiming to be cash positive and profitable by the end of 2024".
Major holders have some agri background, Dwight has a team of 30 or so full time researchers at Ospraie, Scobie has investments in other agri companies.
Perhaps it’s this knowledge that gives them confidence to invest with such large percentages, for the rest of us we have to sum up the risks from company news flow, it really needs a catalyst to break history.
Recent podcast (not yet listened to)
https://twitter.com/PlantHCare
Another distribution agreement. My sense is that Jeff Tweedy is great at commercializing the products. The right man for the job. My view remains the same, the current stock is dramatically (10x) underpriced, based on peer group revenue multiples. I'm looking at near-term revenue, not even plugging in the revenue goals the company hope to reach. That begs the question where and why do investors see risk that I do not. What is the bear case? Is it the ProTec development platform is limited in potential? Is it that the company don't have a profitability goal to match the revenue goals?
Just a little more information on Wilbur-Ellis sales plans:
New Fungicide to Control Common Corn Diseases
Published July 6, 2023
Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness and Plant Health Care have a new distribution agreement to support the sales of OBRONA. The foliar fungicide was recently approved by the EPA. Wilbur-Ellis will offer the product for control of tar spot, common rust, Gray leaf sport and Northern corn leaf blight in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and eight other states.
https://www.rrfn.com/2023/07/06/new-fungicide-to-control-common-corn-diseases/
Matthew Audley: Speaking at the Biostimulants World Conference, Nov 28-Dec 1, 2023, Milan. His abstract below:
Towards Sustainable Potato Production: Harpin Boosts Calcium Use Efficiency
Calcium is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development. It plays a vital role in ensuring optimal potato health and tuber quality by promoting cell wall strength, mitigating disease, and improving storage quality. Harpins are naturally occurring proteins that are known to enhance plant growth and improve resistance to abiotic stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a harpin protein on calcium use efficiency (CUE) in potatoes.
In this series of studies, commercial potatoes were grown in British field conditions and treated with 1% harpin âºÎ². The results showed harpin âºÎ² treatment increased calcium content in potato tubers compared to the control. In 2019 (Cambridge, England) and 2020 (Angus, Scotland) foliar application of harpin âºÎ² with a commercially available calcium nitrate fertiliser (224 g/l Ca0) increased tuber calcium content above treatment with the calcium nitrate fertiliser alone (P
Looks like Griffiths has been moving his holdings rather than outright sales, perhaps taken as a positive that he has chosen to keep PHC against a backdrop of other disposals.
If that IG TR1 is connected to above he may have been able to raise capital by transferring part of his holdings to utilise leverage.
Hoping we get some news soon on Novozymes India regulatory approval, that would be welcome to get the ball rolling.
I'm disappointed that as an existing shareholder, I wasn't given rights to buy into the cap increase. I would have been happy to subscribe and avoid dilution and let the new shareholders buy their shares at the market price. I'm not a fan of selective disclosure. I know the company care more about the holders of 100x more than me, but I'm still a shareholder and would have liked to been treated equally.
James has increased his holding from the initial fund raise of 310,488 > 936,096
* The Company's announcement on 23 June 2023 incorrectly notified that Mr Ede-Golightly had a total interest in 310,488 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.09 per cent of the enlarged issued share capital.
Since the WAND announcement in early March, Griffiths has issued TR1's for - Logistics Development Group plc, IQE plc, Xeros Technology Group Plc, REDDE NORTHGATE PLC, Xeros Technology Group Plc and of course Plant Healthcare.
All of these have been sales which suggest he is raising capital by liquidating significant holdings where possible.
US investments are disclosed with quarterly 13-F filings.
He may have become a forced seller as WAND nears its relisting and revised market valuation.
8.3m at 8.9p, could be Griffiths, either way its around 2.5% - question is, who has taken them, Scobie ?
Bring on the TR1
That's incredible, Eden just short of £42m market cap according to this site.
It has to be good for valuations as a whole, sooner or later there will be some read across as institutions look for other opportunities.
Seller still there, RSP trades at 9.34 are on the buy side
Eden (IMO a comparable business) has seen sudden interest and more volume than it's seen in years. The valuation gap (I'm looking at current multiples of revenue, not higher risk future forecast) between PHC and Eden was massive and is wider now than at any other time in the past. I hope I am not forced to tender my stock in any recapitalization of PHC. I think it has the potential for extraordinary gains in stock price over the next 5 years.
PHC mentioned on Bloomberg UK ‘Merryn Talks Money’ (23rd June) with small caps trust manager Gervais Williams. The general philosophy of the small cap trust is worth listening to and relevant; PHC mentioned from 38 mins.
https://www.bloomberg.com/merryn-talks-money-podcast
Regulatory mood is shifting in PHC's direction, read across for Harpin EU approvals perhaps.
(From Eden thread, a d v f n )
EU green lights new rules to speed up approval, authorisation of biopesticides
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-green-lights-new-rules-to-speed-up-approval-authorisation-of-biopesticides/
Occam, my guess is that management have already had these conversations and quite recently too, its so obvious to anyone looking in from the outside what needs to happen.
My thoughts are they didn't have enough backing to go private from the circ 50% of holders that are deeply underwater, Griffiths would be one that springs to mind.
Henderson, Griffiths and others are so far in where would you place a bid for acceptance? - I think that is why they have chosen to remain listed through the consultation process.
Things could change though, if the newer holders such as Scobie increase their holding the status quo would shift- -
Griffiths holding could be up for grabs, that's 10% of the votes in one go.
All of that to one side, Plant Health Care are finally gaining market traction with economies of scale and so on, reporting is much more realistic too. Its likely the original holders whilst not participating in the fund raise have decided to stick it out under Jeff's leadership, remaining listed is a good way to attract takeovers but also benefit from any share price increases.
"The Company remains firmly on track to achieve annual revenue of $30 million by 2025 through the launch of new peptides and growth through current and future distributor relationships."
..food for thought they say..
@1Pencil. There is a huge cash-cost saving to going private. I think the US listing is a total waste of money, and that listing should be dropped in the interest of the shareholders. There's no benefit and there is cost. Secondly, I see two paths for the company. Slower organic growth (products come from the PRE-tec platform), or cash of 15-20 mill accelerates the process. That would be equity funded, so would need the agreement of the big existing shareholders. There may be covenants in the investment mandate from Janus Henderson to invest in small high growth companies - so they might be a forced seller into a tender offer. I don't know. I also do not know what Ospreie would do: would they sell another investment in their fund to have more cash to invest in PHC and not be diluted? Do they have cash? Personally, I'll hold for 5 years and have confidence in the Jeffs to deliver. If I have to tender at a higher price, then there's no decision to make.
This is the latest Macrovoices podcast - if the link below doesn't work you can find it on a google search.
https://macrovoices.podbean.com/e/macrovoices-381-leigh-goehring-global-food-crisis-update/
Based on the new issued share cap, top four holders as follows (rounded up)
Ospraie AG Science
58,072,790
17.00%
Scobie Ward
38,984,624
11.41%
Richard Griffiths
36,909,630
10.80%
Janus Henderson
30,214,286
8.80%
Total 48.01%
Going private seems an even more likely option now, obviously the remaining holders would need convincing.
"DWF have advised Plant Health Care, Inc. on a fundraising which raised $3.6million."
"Lester Wilson, Ben Palmer and I worked closely with Neil McDonald and Peter Lynch, CA at Cenkos Securities plc and their legal counsel Tom O'Connor and Tom Nicholls at Stephenson Hardwood to get this deal over the line. The fundraising was launched at 4:35pm last night and completed earlier this morning."
"The company's share price has reacted positively to news of the fundraising which is a testament to the strength of Plant Health Care, Inc.'s investment proposition and their management team."
"We look forward to seeing what Plant Health Care, Inc. do next."
Jemil Visram
Director (Corporate - ECM and M&A) at DWF
‘Global Crop Solutions’? Nah.
‘Plant Health Care’ is more specific; does what it says on the can.
Although I have been invested in PHC since 2021, I have only just found this BB. Does anyone else think that the name Plant Health Care sounds a bit weak? I emailed the company to suggest that "Global Crop Solutions" sounds much more dynamic, but there was no reply. I feel that PHC has massive potential, but the wrong name.