QUINVITA and AVIAM sign a strategic alliance on Jatropha curcas

QUINVITA and AVIAM sign a strategic alliance on Jatropha curcas

AVIAM, a Mozambican based Jatropha curcas Plantation Company and the Industrial Crop Technology Company, QUINVITA announced today they entered into a strategic alliance on a joined Jatropha development program. Under the signed agreement, QUINVITA will test and produce its improved Jatropha cultivars, commercialized under the brand QUINVITA PRO (QVP) and will start an extensive Agronomy research and demonstration program at the AVIAM plantation site in Mozambique. AVIAM becomes a member of both the QUINVITA Breeding and the Agronomy value clubs. QUINVITA will support AVIAM on the further development of existing and new Jatropha curcas planting and will enable the AVIAM plantation with QUINVITA technology. As part of the agreement, QUINVITA becomes a minority shareholder of AVIAM Lda.

Mauro Palladino, Chairman of AVIAM, welcomes the alliance with QUINVITA: ‘’QUINVITA has developed over the years a unique knowledge base in Jatropha genetics, agronomy and processing and is one of the few companies in the world with a combination of seeds, technology and knowledge readily available for practical implementation in Jatropha plantations. Adding QUINVITA as a partner will result in a further improvement of the existing and newly planted Jatropha trees in the AVIAM project and creates a unique opportunity to demonstrate the project as a Jatropha success story. ”

Henk Joos, the CEO of QUINVITA is pleased with the alliance: “From day one we have been very positive about the location of the AVIAM project, both from a logistics as well as a Jatropha suitability perspective. In addition, the AVIAM team has taken a very hands-on and realistic approach to the Jatropha plantation activity, making it one of the more promising Jatropha projects in Africa. QUINVITA is very pleased it can enable projects with this long term potential with its technology and know-how. ’’

AVIAM Lda was created in 2008 and is developing a Jatropha plantation project in the vicinity of Nacala-a-Velha, Province of Nampula. The AVIAM project is one of the few projects in Mozambique who already received a land use permit from the Mozambique government to plant sustainable Jatropha on a large scale. AVIAM currently has access to 10,000 ha of land but has an expansion possibility up to 26,000 ha.

QUINVITA is a global industrial crop technology company focusing its activities on the professionalization of and the deployment of game change technologies in alternative energy crops like Jatropha curcas. For further information on QUINVITA see also www.quinvita.com or please contact:

Vincent Volckaert +32 9 241 56 12

Email: info@quinvita.com