Ryan Mee, CEO of Fulcrum Metals, reviews FY23 and progress on the Gold Tailings Hub in Canada. Watch the video here.
This article is a little old (March 24) but I hadn't seen it before.
https://www.agribusinessglobal.com/agrochemicals/2023-crop-protection-market-review-looking-ahead-to-2024/
The Rise of Biologicals and PGRs
A notable development in 2023 was the promising growth trajectory in the Biologicals and Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) segments. Growers demonstrated a readiness to substitute synthetic chemicals with biological alternatives, even at a price premium. This shift indicates a significant move towards sustainable farming practices, with value-driven growth in the biologicals space signaling a departure from traditional volume-driven metrics. Nevertheless, specialty crop segments displayed resilience and signs of continued market growth, underlining the sector’s adaptability and the evolving preferences of growers. Value driven growth was evident in most markets with increasing use of biologicals (e.g. U.S., Brazil, France, Spain) — foremost in the Pheromone class of Biocontrol.
The Bright Spots: Biologicals, Horticulture, Patent Developments
In contrast to the challenges, 2024 also promises areas of growth and opportunity. The biologicals sector, with its focus on sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural solutions, is poised for promising expansion. Some key biological products launched recently aim to offer innovative solutions for pest and disease control in agriculture. They utilize natural ingredients like Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus species to target a wide range of agricultural pests including whiteflies, corn leafhoppers, and nematodes, as well as diseases such as leaf blight in rice. These products also focus on enhancing crop resilience and yield by activating the crop’s own defense systems and promoting growth.
Similarly, the fruit and vegetables segments are set to experience growth, offering a silver lining to the broader market adjustments. While lower crop prices pose challenges for farmers, reduced fuel and fertilizer costs are expected to partially offset the impact on profitability. With a number of active ingredients (AIs) in recent years having come off patent, the generic segment will see opportunities for growth. Also for originators opportunities will be created to launch their own innovative formulations in that post-patent space to protect market share, and diversify offerings across a broader crop spectrum and expanded geographical coverage.
Excellent news. So that’s 40% of the EU.
But for me the big RNS was the product partnership in China. If we’re trading figures 1pencil, China’s arable land represents 10% of the arable land on the planet and feeds 20% of the global population.
We’re not going to get any representative sales figures for a year or more so hard to tell how important different locations are to PHC, but the company now has a platform for significant growth. Or as CR says, he wants ‘a PHC product on every field’.
Time to print the ‘destocking’ results from last year and be shot of them. Look forward to a brighter future.
Agreed 1pencil,
AMVAC are manifestly a highly acquisitive company and running a slide-rule over PHC. It says as much in the RNS (below).
“AMVAC continues to evaluate PHC’s technology within other markets including Australia, Central America and Brazil as novel products to deliver disease and nematode control in crops such as bananas, potato and soybeans.”
DD77
Didn’t we do the AIM wobbles last year?
PHC ended up committing to AIM following a shareholder consultation. CR has also said that PHC calls the shots not large investors.
I realise that PHC stock is illiquid, but once the recovery is recognised by the investing community, shares will likely gain popularity. Especially given the company,s globally green status. I,m also noticing all my AIM stocks turning around, so perhaps we,re entering a new small cap bull market.
3littlebirds
Yes, me too. I have 800k so far, which is 2/3 of the position I sold in 2022 for a handsome profit. The market is setting a premium price for big buys I'm finding but managed an average of 10p over the last week. Tend to think there's a wall of dividend investors been watching this for a while and now investing, thus the significant correction. I don't want to sound rampy, but I can see us reaching 15-20p in the next month - gut feeling.
Will add on weakness - fastest finger on the button.
The credit facility has a variable interest rate with rates predicted to fall over the coming couple of years.
In addition, the previous loan covenant banned monthly dividends, so we await to find out if monthly dividends are back.
Okay, let’s face it, there’s actually nothing much wrong with i3. The reason the shareprice is down significantly is…
1/The LSE is broken - lack of institutional and private investment.
2/ Global economies are weak - demand on oil is lower thus price of oil is lower.
3/ Interest rates and inflation are higher than in the recent past. - feeds into weaker economic outlook, cost of living and folk not buying so many houses and stuff.
4/ Given the economic turbulence, investors have turned to perceived safer options such as large cap stocks, especially in the US. Pension funds have followed the money abroad thus little UK investment within the sector.
The few UK small cap funds existing have had clients sell up to derisk. In short these redemptions mean that institutions have to sell shares in their portfolios, including i3.
These factors have hit i3e in the pocket and affected the shareprice badly.
So, what gives?
What investors need to ask is whether we’re turned the corner on such things as PoO, interest rates, inflation, risk of recession; and whether the huge discounts in LSE/AIM companies are attracting investment (rather than opportunistic T/O bids)
These are huge global issues that won’t resolve overnight, but there are signs that things are turning around.
Meanwhile i3 continue with business as usual (with a few tasty prospects of corporate action).
As an income investor, it’s crucial to get into dividend vehicles when they’re cheap.
Exactly what I’ve done.
Hi
Briefly, the science and many endorsements say the products work. Also there are visible benefits. They have a small lab in Seattle and been working on cheaper productivity costs and margins. The destocking problem is industry wide and led to PHC suffering a lost year (I imagine), but it is widely predicted to resolve by H2 - it resulted from overstocking during Covid when supply channels were squeezed. If we’re up and running again we should reach profits early next year.
We need to get the FY results out of the way 1st. The SP is the product of a broken market. Still waiting for the promised investor return, was hoping for more than a hot beverage served at the AGM.
Joking aside there is great potential here with patience.
Good to have you onboard Qd22.
Yes, the macro picture is excellent and PHC products work fabulously. I await the next RNS with trepidation because 2023 ‘may’ prove to have been a right off. However eyes will be on the forward statement (my eyes at least). If the destocking problem is over, then this is a great time to buy or add at the current levels.
Hard to believe the broker target is 40p+. Hope the company remember this in case of any TO bid.
Since news flow's dried up; here's my wild (& probably incorrect) speculation.
I'm wondering if PHC are selling Teikko directly to growers thus taking 100% of the profits.
The Brazil technical team is amazing and they've been doing loads of promotional work over the last year.
Just a thought...