- 01SKN inks exclusive NZ deal with Farmlands for ECO-Nurture.
- 02Initial order worth about $495k for 4,000 L.
- 03Kiwifruit PSA costs NZ ~ $1b since 2010.
Skin Elements (ASX: SKN) has secured an exclusive agreement with New Zealand-based Farmlands Co-operative Society for the sale and distribution of its ECO-Nurture bio-stimulant product to the agricultural sector.
Farmlands will pay Skin Elements approximately $495,000 for an initial 4,000-litre order of the horticultural spray, which it will market, sell, supply, and distribute to the nation’s farmers.
The initial focus will be on the lucrative kiwifruit industry, where the highly virulent bacteria pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (PSA) has destroyed vines and orchards and caused nearly $1 billion economic loss since 2010.
ECO-Nurture is expected to help the overall health of the kiwifruit plant by improving its tolerance to stress against a range of bacteria.
Farmlands is New Zealand’s largest farmer-owned rural co-operative, transacting more than $2 billion worth of business annually and listed in the nation’s top 20 companies by turnover.
Plant-Based Alternative
ECO-Nurture is a sustainable horticulture-specific bio-stimulant developed from Skin Elements’ proprietary plant-based SE Formula research and development program.
It is seen as an effective alternative to the chemical-based agricultural sprays currently used in crop protection worldwide., which often include copper sulphates that can accumulate and become toxic to humans, animals, plants, and soil.
Skin Elements has conducted an extensive multi-stage trial and evaluation of ECO-Nurture in New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry over the past four growing seasons, in which it demonstrated the product’s ability to support healthy vine development while reducing reliance on chemicals typically used in agricultural settings.
Kiwifruit is New Zealand’s most valuable crop, accounting for more than 30% of annual fruit and vegetable exports and generating global revenue of $4.15 billion in the 2024-25 season.
Product Expansion Potential
Initial tests have also shown potential for the product to protect other fruit and vegetable crops, providing a sound foundation for Skin Elements to pursue the expansion of ECO-Nurture across the broader horticultural sector and in different geographical markets.
Once ECO-Nurture has been approved under New Zealand’s Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act, Skin Elements and Farmlands are expected to lock in a new agreement for ongoing national sales and distribution.
Skin Elements chief executive officer Dr Peter Malone said the ECO-Nurture launch was the culmination of three years of trials with over 100 kiwifruit orchards.
“The launch of ECO-Nurture 100% natural bio-stimulant represents a significant step in Skin Elements’ growth and development strategy, seeing the introduction of GREEN-Tech supporting an alternative transition towards plant-based crop protection solutions in kiwifruit orchards,” he said.
“With over 80 stores nationwide, Farmlands are able to support the kiwifruit sector continue to grow.”
Get the wire before the market opens.
The ASX small-cap stories that matter, filed before 9am AEST. Curated by the Small Caps desk.