About Plant Health Products (Pty) Ltd
Plant Health Products is a relatively small company specializing in producing biological control products. It is based near Nottingham Road in the scenic Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The company's products are currently being sold in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and Namibia, with trials being conducted world-wide.
Vision and Mission
Vision: To create, produce and market biological control agents and probiotics for crop production, which are effective, easy-to-use and can be marketed globally.
Mission: To provide the clients with well researched and developed biological solutions for agricultural challenges. To create and market easy-to-use, effective biological control agents and plant probiotics, based on sound science, comprehensive testing and meticulous quality control. The products will have a global market, with a primary base in the South African market.
History
The concept of Plant Health Products was initiated in 1998 by Professor Mark Laing and Dr Mike Morris. It was a union of the knowledge and expertise of these two experienced scientists that led to the formation of the company. Mark Laing, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, had conducted 10 years of research on biological control of crop diseases using the fungus Trichoderma harzianum and had reached a stage where a product was ready to be commercialized. Mike Morris had worked for 25 years leading the government research programme on biological control of invasive plants using fungal agents. He already had experience in producing and registering two fungal based products and became the Managing Director of PHP.
Government research funding was accessed through the Innovation Fund of the Department of Science and Technology enabling the company to register its first two products for plant disease control, Eco-T and Eco-77. A second government grant later led to the development of three potential products for insect pest control.
A pilot production plant was built at Nottingham Road and was gradually expanded to its current form. This plant comprises a well-equipped laboratory, numerous temperature controlled rooms and growth chambers for producing the fungi and other agents, autoclave facilities for sterilization of equipment, drying facilities, plus storage space and offices. Production techniques are designed to follow the particular organism's natural growing conditions as closely as possible. In this way optimal vigour and shelf life of the organisms are attained.
The company reached a point where the mass production processes were running like clockwork and then set its sights on more active marketing. Michelle Paterson, who has a background in Plant Pathology and agricultural marketing, is handling the marketing side, promoting the products in South Africa and various other countries around the world. In South Africa, Plant Health Products has a marketing and disctribution agreement with Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture (www.madumbi.co.za).
Staff members
PHP has a small but highly qualified team:
- Managing Director: Dr Mike Morris (PhD)
- Research Director (part-time): Professor Mark Laing (PhD)
- Marketing Manager: Michelle Paterson (MSc Cum Laude)
- Production Manager: Ian Perry
- Administrator: Sonja van Zuydam
- Production Officer: Mavis Morris (BEcon)
- Production Assistants: Xoliswe Mtoto, Ntombo Shangase, Bongi Mofokeng, Margret Zuma, Sbongile Buthelezi, Erick Mvelase, Esther Charamba, Julio Muianga, Noluthando Ndabeni
- Groundsman: David Shangase
The PHP staff
Production
- PHP's unique production methods have been specifically developed to follow the particular organism's natural growing conditions. This enhances the organism's vigour and shelf life.
- The methods have found application by others: The product "Yieldplus" from Anchor Yeast (Pty) Ltd is toll-produced by PHP. This post-harvest treatment protects apples and pears from fruit rot during shipping and storage.
Working with Nature
MD and Plant Pathologist Dr Mike Morris at work in the laboratory
Production Manager Ian Perry working with fungal cultures
