New fungicide from BASF helps Thai rice farmers improve grain quality and increase income

• Seltima is an advanced formulation of BASF’s F 500 active ingredient developed specifically for applications in paddy rice
• AgCelence delivers higher yield and better grain quality
• Expands the company’s rice product portfolio in Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand – May 14, 2019 – BASF has officially launched Seltima^®, an innovative fungicide that supports the efficient production of high-quality rice, for farmers in Thailand. The special encapsulation technology contained in Seltima ensures a controlled release of its powerful active ingredient directly on the plant leaf surface. This allows farmers to benefit from strong, long-lasting control of rice blast disease and improved plant health, while preserving the health of the aquatic environment.

Seltima is part of BASF’s AgCelence^® brand, a portfolio of premium products that delivers benefits that go above and beyond crop protection. In the case of Seltima, these benefits include improved crop appearance, increased plant vitality and stress tolerance, and enhanced nitrogen efficiency. This translates into higher marketable yield and grain quality for farmers who use Seltima.

More than 200 key business partners and farmers attended today’s launching ceremony. “We know that farmers have the biggest job on earth – to grow more safe, healthy, nutritious food to meet the needs of the world’s growing population,” said Petrus Ng, BASF Managing Director of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. “BASF is committed to helping farmers in Thailand and across Asia Pacific. Solutions like Seltima offer farmers better outcomes for their crop, which ultimately helps to improve their quality of life. Today, farmers in Thailand join growers in China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, who are benefitting from this innovative technology.”

BASF aims to provide innovations that can help boost Thai farmers’ income. Seltima fungicide is the company’s latest addition to its growing portfolio of solutions for Thai rice growers – which already includes Tetris herbicide for weed grasses, Basta herbicide for control of weedy rice, and LeSAK 3G Insecticide – for stemborer, thrips and leaf folder.

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions Division

With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

About BASF in Thailand

BASF has been present in Thailand for more than 50 years. With 632 employees in Thailand as of December 31, 2018, BASF offers a wide range of products and solutions to support almost all the key industries in the country, including agriculture, automotive, personal and home care, health and nutrition, construction, and packaging. BASF maintains a head office in Bangkok and operates three production sites around the country, as well as an automotive coatings and performance materials technical lab in Samutprakarn. In 2018, BASF posted sales of €514 million to customers in Thailand. Further information is available on the Internet at www.basf.com/th.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at.www.basf.com.