Belchim Crop Protection Belgium

Managing director and the driving force behind Belchim, Dirk Putteman was introduced to the crop protection industry at the young age of 21 at Schering. At the age of 30, he founded his own crop protection business, Belchim, in 1987. By the late 1990s, after expansion in The Netherlands, Belchim Benelux was ready for further enlargement and Putteman sought and found a strategic partnership with two established international research and development companies which allowed not only a more specialised product portfolio, but also further expansion into Europe.

The company was renamed Belchim Crop Protection (Belchim) and is now a large player operating in the European crop protection market competing with Syngenta, Bayer Crop Sciences and BASF. Belchim operates in 19 European countries and has plans to extend operations to the newer European member states. The company operates from its HQ in Londerzeel, Belgium, but a flexible reporting structure enables the various European entities to retain a strongly market-oriented approach.

Belchim carries a broad range of state-of-theart crop protection products which include specialty products for important European crops such as potatoes, grapes, vegetables and maize. The product range is adapted to the needs of each country.

For example in the Benelux countries products are geared towards potatoes and vegetables while in France, Germany and the United Kingdom the product range covers vines, potatoes, oil seed rape and vegetables. Putteman says that Belchim has been well received in the market since it provides a welcome alternative to the big multinationals. Some of the products, such as RANMAN® against late blight in potatoes, have become the standard in crop protection.

A major challenge to the European crop protection industry has been the increasing demands from the agrifood sector and consumers alike for more targeted use of plant protection products, as well as more environmentally friendly pesticides. This has led to an active phase of mergers and acquisitions and increasing internationalisation as smaller companies have seen their profit margins shrink. Belchim has been able to take advantage of the changing market dynamics and has strived to fill the gaps that have opened up. For instance the product SPOTLIGHT®, from its origin an herbicide to be used for weed control in cereals has been introduced in the cultivation of potatoes as a harvest aid and has recently been developed in the vine growing too.

Belchim has launched the insecticide TEPPEKI® against aphids in various crops. This innovative product has a very good toxicological profile and can be used in IPM, Integrated Pest Management. TEPPEKI® kills the aphids that are harmful to the crop, but leaves the beneficial insects, the natural predators of the aphids such as the ladybird, unharmed. This way, nature and chemicals work side by side to protect the plant. Putteman says that they are working towards further expansion of Belchim Crop Protection’s Bioline (such as biopesticides) which is good not only for clients but also for the image of the company and the sector as a whole. An exciting development in this regard has been the cooperation with the German Prophyta Biologischer Pflanzenschutz GmbH company.

Belchim markets Prophyta’s biological fungicide, CONTANS®, which is a natural fungus that successfully counters Sclerotinia, a plant disease which affects over 300 different field, vegetable and herb crops. In the face of stricter industry norms and consumer pressure, Belchim has seen impressive growth, which resulted in acquiring the Belgian crop protection company Protex. This recent takeover is estimated to increase Belchim’s Belgian market share by 5% and will add another €10 million to its annual turnover. Putteman says that as the registration holder and exclusive supplier of more than 100 different products, Protex brings a wealth of experience to Belchim. Such knowledge is invaluable in helping Belchim to continue to provide state-of-the-art crop protection products, service and advice to its customers, and in keeping Belchim’s stakeholders, staff and strategic partners happy.