PHC.L Regulatory News (PHC)

19 Sep 2005 07:02

Plant Health Care PLC19 September 2005 Embargoed until 7am 19 September 2005 Plant Health Care plc License Agreement Plant Health Care ("PHC" or the "Group") is pleased to announce that it hasentered into a licensing agreement with Eden Bioscience for the use of Eden'snext generation Harpin technology. Harpins are proteins that elicit a growthresponse when applied to plants. Under the terms of the agreement PHC will haveexclusive rights for a minimum of 5 years (subject to minimum purchaserequirements) to use Harpin technology in nutritional products in the UK, theNetherlands and Scandinavia, and non-exclusive rights to sell those products inNorthern Africa and Italy. PHC has the right to test these products in Mexicoand the US to determine their market potential. PHC has developed a product trademarked Pre-Tect which combines Harpin withsome of PHC's proprietary natural based technologies. In trials, Pre-Tect hasbeen shown to consistently increase the yield and the shelf life of leaf crops,such as lettuce, spinach and broccoli, for 2 to 5 days. The Group is currently in discussions with certain supermarket chains in the UKconcerning the possibility of Pre-Tect being used by their growers and suppliersin order to reduce their product wastage. John Brady, CEO of Plant Health Care, said, "The incorporation of Eden's nextgeneration Harpin technology into PHC's product portfolio is a very excitingaddition for the Group. Our Pre-Tect product has consistently increased yieldand shelf life on leaf crops and by using Pre-Tect as one of their regularcropping inputs grocers can address one of the most significant problems thatthey face, namely the limited shelf life of fresh produce. PHC'S Pre-Tect willallow the grocers to naturally add shelf life, limit losses due to spoilage and,as a result, increase profits. For further information please contact: Plant Health Care plcJohn Brady, CEO Tel: 001 603 525 3702 Eden BioscienceRhett Atkins, CEO Tel: 001 425 806 7300 Tavistock Communications Tel: 020 7920 3150Jeremy CareyChristian Taylor-Wilkinson Notes to Editors: About Plant Health CarePlant Health Care plc ("PHC") is a leading provider of natural products forplants and soil. Established in 1995 in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) in the UnitedStates, PHC currently has approximately 60 employees and has operations in theUS, Mexico, UK, Spain, and the Netherlands with technical support in Austria.The Group has two principal operating subsidiaries in the US - PHC Inc (PA) andPHC-REC. The Company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange inJuly 2004. Ticker symbol is phc. PHC's products are aimed at the horticulture, agriculture, turf grass,commercial landscaping, forestry and land reclamation industries and are bothenvironmentally beneficial and on the whole more cost effective than syntheticchemical alternatives. Through the commercialisation of these products, PHC iscapitalising on current long-term trends toward natural systems and biologicalproducts for plant care and soil and water management uses. PHC-REC is an environmental and reclamation engineering consulting firm whichprovides engineering and design services for reclamation lands disturbed bymining, construction, and other activities. PHC-REC is the recognised leader inthe use of biologically based solutions using mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria forthe establishment of trees, shrubs, and grasses on these disturbed lands.PHC-REC was established in 1997 to exploit PHC's products and technology. Web Site: www.planthealthcare.com About Eden Bioscience Eden Bioscience was founded in 1994 and is located in Bothell, Washington USA.The company is primarily engaged in the sales and marketing of its proprietaryHarpin technology. Eden's technology is based on a family of naturally occurringproteins called "harpins" and represents a unique type of crop production toolEden classifies as plant health regulators. Web site: www.edenbio.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange