PI bids for Plant Health Care

India’s PI Industries has agreed to acquire UK-based Plant Health Care (PHC), a specialist in protein and peptide technology for agricultural applications, for £32 million. This is subject to a UK court process, which, among other things, requires approval by shareholders holding at least 75% of the shares. It is expected to be completed by Q2 of the 2025 fiscal year.

Based in the UK with subsidiaries in the US, Brazil, Mexico and a few other countries, PHC had sales of $11 million for its patented PREtec peptide products in 2023. PI said that with PHC, it would gain access to cutting-edge technology platforms in the plant immunity inducers space.

“Combining these with other available complementary technologies and an innovative pipeline of chemical products, PI will have a ‘double engine’ to create a portfolio of innovative products that will feed into the well-oiled sales engines in India and key international markets,” it added. PI itself has eight registered products with more in the pipeline. Revenue from biological products increased by about 29% in its 2024 fiscal year.