February 5, 2015
As agricultural markets open and the ‘green revolution’ reaches Eastern Europe, SGS is expanding its network of field-trial stations.
There are many reasons for SGS’s expansion into the East: improved economics; better investment; local production of GM free feed; climate change; and the arrival of the ‘green revolution’.
As the EU expands, SGS has begun establishing local field research facilities in these territories. Research operations in the first group of countries to join the expanded EU - Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria – have focused on regulatory trials (GLP and GEP) for the development of pesticides and fertilizers. Emphasis is now being placed upon service extension into yield, demonstration and variety trials, as well as further investment in stations, drilling/harvesting machinery and irrigation systems.
As part of improvements to our EU field trial network we have:
- Expanded into new territories – Denmark in 2015, Romania and Greece are scheduled for 2016
- Increased the number of stations in Spain, France, Germany, Poland and Hungary
- Upgraded facilities
- Created project management services
- Focused on irrigation infrastructure and field selection to support client trials during drought periods
Pan-European Network
SGS offers a network of field trial centers in all major European countries. We are able to place field trial subjects under a variety of conditions, taking into account EU zonal registration requirements, residues and EPPO climatic zones.
In addition, we provide new product testing expertise for herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides and biopesticides, in different formulations, application and cropping regimes. This delivers flexibility and high success rates.
Expansion into Eastern Europe has been achieved by close working with local authorities and local GLP and GEP accreditation. Our standard operating procedures and quality management system enable us to deliver a consistent and harmonized approach Europe-wide. Without GLP accreditation our service in Bulgaria differs.
Beyond Europe’s Borders
SGS has now received accreditation in some countries – the first independent service provider to do so. On the basis of our field trial results, we are accredited to provide regulatory trials to support residue, ecotox, environmental fate and efficacy field trials in Ukraine, and have received the equivalent in Turkey. SGS has field stations in across Ukraine and also works on farmers’ land. In addition to field trials, in Turkey we also provide insect resistance monitoring, bioassay testing and residue testing. As sample shipment into the EU for pathogens and pests is restricted, testing and analysis is provided locally in Turkey and Ukraine.
SGS’s expansion east also includes:
- Field trial operations in Russia
- Product development in Kazakhstan
- Co-ordination of trials with local governments and support in the registration process in countries where SGS does not provide regulated field trials
- Turkey and CIS countries participation in SGS’s pan EU approach
As deregulation expands, SGS is committed to providing turnkey solutions to support product development, registration and market penetration services to the seed and crop protection industry.
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