Halvetic begins another year of global expansion – plans include entry into the Italian and British markets

Halvetic - an innovative and sustainable crop protection product, begins its third year of expansion in global markets. The product has already been launched in 13 countries and CIECH Sarzyna plans to expand its distribution in 2023 to include Italy and the UK. Halvetic is based on a patented, breakthrough formula, and its effectiveness has been confirmed in 500 trials and field tests conducted in several climate zones and on four continents. While sustaining high crop yields, the product's success and further market expansion also bring significant benefits in the area of environmental care. In fact, the usage of Halvetic in EU markets may reduce annual herbicide active ingredient consumption by up to 20%¹.

Halvetic is designed for non-selective control of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds. This innovative herbicide, based on breakthrough BGT technology ("Better Glyphosate Technology"^®), allows to maintain the current high effectiveness of the active substance, while reducing its dose per hectare by half (compared to existing standards). The product's high effectiveness, achieved despite the use of a significantly lower dose of glyphosate, remains a significant competitive advantage.

The CIECH Group has taken an uncompromising step to support the development of sustainable agriculture and minimize the environmental impact of crop protection products with the introduction of BGT technology - the first such ground-breaking innovation in the global glyphosate formulation market in 45 years. Moreover, Halvetic remains in line with the assumptions of the EU strategy "From Farm to Fork". According to CIECH's's estimations, if the product were to be utilized in all EU Community markets, it would contribute to a 6% reduction in the use of active substances (in herbicides by up to 20%²) in the entire crop protection products segment. Thus, Halvetic would bring the European Union closer to meeting the objectives of the aforementioned strategy, which states a 50% reduction in the use of active substances used in pesticides.

Halvetic shows high performance regardless of water hardness, pH, or rainfall. Its effectiveness has been confirmed by more than half a thousand studies that considered the specifics of different weather conditions conducted in field tests in Europe, North and South America, and Australia and Oceania.

Just one year after its highly successful debut in Poland (in the spring of 2021), Halvetic has beenregistered in Slovakia, Romania, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Spain, among others, where CIECH Group-owned company - Proplan, manages distribution. The global presence of this Spanish company will allow future expansion of the formulation in Northern Africa and South America. In 2023, Halvetic will also be available to farmers in the UK and Italy. The product's range of applications also keeps expanding; in Greece and Portugal, the herbicide can be applied to olive, citrus, and grape crops.

- 2022 was a breakthrough year in the international growth of the Halvetic brand. Enthusiastic reception in the Polish market went hand in hand with the positive results of our several hundred tests and field trials, which were performed under widely varying climatic and hydrological conditions. Such gained credibility has translated into an incredibly good reception of Halvetic in more countries. By 2023, we aim to expand the geographic reach of our product and promote it to farmers in more countries. This year, we plan to debut our products in Italian and British markets, among others, and we are seeking registration in Argentina and Uruguay. Our further plan includes the introduction of Halvetic in Brazil, which is the world's largest country in terms of arable land and the world's largest net exporter of agricultural commodities³- says Wojciech Babski, President of the Management Board of CIECH Sarzyna and Head of the AGRO Business at the CIECH Group.

CIECH Sarzyna and Proplan make up CIECH's AGRO business, which is the second largest area of the Group's operations (after soda and salt production). For several years, the CIECH Group's AGRO business has been growing dynamically, increasing its revenues, its share in the Polish market (currently at 7%), and the share of exports in its total sales. As part of the Group's strategy for 2022-2024, the AGRO business plans, among others, to introduce more innovative products and offer modern services for farmers, developed in cooperation with external partners.

Contact:

Mirosław Kuk, CIECH Group's Spokesperson

[email protected], tel. +48 723 66 86 86.

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CIECH is an international developing chemical group with a strong position on global markets. It is the second largest manufacturer of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in the European Union, the largest manufacturer of evaporated salt in Poland, the largest supplier of sodium silicates in Europe, the largest Polish manufacturer of plant protection products, and a leading producer of polyurethane foams in Poland. Its factories are located in Poland, Germany, and Romania, and it employs over 3,000 people throughout the EU.

Since 2005, CIECH S.A. has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and since 2016, simultaneously, on one of the largest stock exchanges in Europe - Börse Frankfurt. The development of the Group is supported by its strategic investor - Kulczyk Investments.

As one of the largest Polish exporters, CIECH ships its goods to almost each continent. They are used to manufacture products necessary in the everyday life of millions of people around the world. That is why the Group is a crucial element of numerous sectors of the economy - construction, automotive, agriculture, chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries.

CIECH combines a modern business approach and care for sustainable development. Since 2020, it has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact - the world's largest initiative that brings together socially, environmentally and economically responsible businesses.

Since 2021, CIECH has been consistently implementing its ESG Strategy, which includes eight commitments in the field of climate policy, social relations and corporate governance.

More information about the CIECH Group can be found at www.ciechgroup.com.

¹ CIECH's estimates for herbicides - agents protecting crops against weeds.

² CIECH's estimates for the entire pesticides (plant protection products) market in the EU.

³ Brazil is the largest country in terms of arable land, the world's largest producer of soybeans, corn, rice, table beans and wheat, and the largest net exporter of agricultural commodities (USDA ERS - Brazil's Momentum as a Global Agricultural Supplier Faces Headwinds).

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