Bioceres Crop Solutions announced earlier this year its plans to expand sales of its proprietary HB4 wheat (IND 412) seeds, which have been genetically modified for drought and glufosinate tolerance, through partnerships with additional seed companies (see AgbioNews Mar 9, 2023). HB4 wheat, which was previously distributed in Argentina via private deals between farmers, but will now be sold through a group of 45 seed multiplier firms, a significant expansion from last season when there were only three seed multiplier companies authorised to work with HB4 seeds.

Wheat production in South America for 2022/2023 was impacted by historic drought conditions last year and early this year. Bioceres new distribution model comes ahead of planting for Argentina's 2023/2024 wheat season, which will begin in the next few weeks.

Brazil was the second country to authorise the cultivation and marketing of HB4 wheat (AgbioNews Mar 6, 2023), after Argentina (AgbioNews Oct 8, 2020). HB4 wheat has also received approval for food and feed use in the USA, Brazil, Nigeria and Indonesia, food use in Australia, New Zealand and Colombia and feed use in and Argentina. The company has also developed a soybean variety of its HB4 brand (IND 410), which has received cultivation approval in six countries, and reportedly intends to increase the area planted with HB4 soybeans in Brazil to 10,000 hectares in the 2023/2024 season.