Leading biologicals company to leverage Symbiomics’ proprietary platform to accelerate the development of next-generation biological solutions for crop protection in Brazil
December 9, 2025 (Florianópolis, SC, Brazil)
The global biologicals market is experiencing a period of rapid expansion and consolidation. In 2024, according to data from U.S.-based market intelligence firm DunhamTrimmer, the sector was estimated at US$ 14 billion, with biological control products accounting for approximately 60% of this value. Projections indicate that the market is expected to reach nearly US$ 20 billion by 2027, growing at an average annual rate of 13%. This growth reflects the increasingly solid integration between chemical crop protection products and biological inputs: a trend driven by the search for more sustainable and efficient solutions for pest and disease management in agricultural systems, particularly large-scale crops such as soybean, corn, and sugarcane.
Recognizing this potential, Ballagro, a company specialized in the development of biological and nutritional solutions, and Symbiomics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of next-generation biological products, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at creating new biological control products. The agreement provides for the exchange of the companies’ microorganism portfolios. Microbial resources from both organizations will be explored in an integrated manner, accelerating the discovery of new technologies. Under this model, Ballagro will gain access to Symbiomics’ proprietary platform, enabling faster and more precise development of high-performance products containing robust microorganisms.
For more than 20 years, Ballagro has contributed to the advancement of biological control. The company is recognized for its innovative approach and for offering a portfolio of biological and nutritional solutions that are 100% synergistic, high-performing, and developed to serve a wide range of crops. Ballagro operates with its own infrastructure, high quality and technology standards, and a strong commitment to sustainability, playing a key role in integrated pest management and delivering increased profitability to farmers across Brazil. “Our work is guided by continuous innovation. The partnership with Symbiomics will allow us to explore new frontiers, such as understanding microbial DNA for the joint development of a new generation of biological inputs. We strongly believe in Symbiomics’ technologies: they have a highly qualified team, state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, and a forward-looking mindset. By combining our experience in biological inputs with a young, dynamic company focused on new solutions, we will rapidly build innovative, high-technology products,” says Lecio Kaneko, Strategic Development Manager at Ballagro.
Symbiomics has been actively developing high-performance biological products built on cutting-edge technologies such as genome editing and artificial intelligence. “The partnership with Ballagro represents a new collaboration model for us, in which the Symbiomics platform will be applied to create products based on the microbial resources of both companies. With our tools, the development process can be two to five times faster than traditional methods. In addition to accelerating the research cycle, the partnership with Ballagro strengthens our technological capabilities and adds the company’s industrial and commercial experience to transform these discoveries into solutions available to farmers,” explains Jader Armanhi, COO and co-founder of Symbiomics.
Speed of development is one of the key differentiators of the partnership in a market that is expanding rapidly but still lacks innovation. As a result, the ability to generate effective and innovative solutions provides a strong competitive advantage. In the global context, Latin America has gained prominence in the biologicals sector, with Brazil holding a leading position both in treated area and adoption rate. The country is expected to increase its share of the global market from 20% in 2021 to 29% in 2029, consolidating its position as the main hub of the sector. According to ANPII Bio, the Brazilian market reached R$ 5.7 billion in the 2023/2024 crop season and is expected to exceed R$ 9 billion by 2030, representing growth of approximately 60% over the decade.
“Today, Brazil has more than 600 registrations of microorganism-based biological crop protection products with the Ministry of Agriculture, covering only 18 genera and, within these, around 45 species. These figures reveal a market concentration around a limited group of active ingredients, often recurring across different products and target pests. Our goal, together with Ballagro, is to use the best available tools to isolate and identify robust microorganisms with high competitiveness against the native microbiota of plants and soils, giving rise to new products with strong market potential in Brazil and globally,” concludes Rafael de Souza, CEO and co-founder of Symbiomics.
ABOUT SYMBIOMICS
Symbiomics is a Brazilian biotechnology company. Founded in 2021, its goal is to globally transform agriculture with next-generation biological products. The company develops high-performance solutions to sustainably increase agricultural productivity, with less environmental impact. The products contain microorganisms used for multiple applications such as plant nutrition, biocontrol, carbon sequestration, and biostimulants. The company’s Research and Development department works with cutting-edge advancements in genomics, microbiomes, and data analysis to enhance agricultural crop productivity through multiple approaches such as biofertilization, increasing resilience to environmental stress, and biological control. More information at: www.symbiomics.com.br and www.linkedin.com/company/symbiomics/.
ABOUT BALLAGRO
For more than 20 years, Ballagro has contributed to the advancement of biological control. The company is recognized for its innovative approach and for offering a portfolio of biological and nutritional solutions that are 100% synergistic, high-performing, and designed to serve a wide range of crops. Ballagro operates with its own infrastructure, high standards of quality and technology, and a strong commitment to sustainability, playing a fundamental role in integrated pest management and delivering greater profitability to farmers throughout Brazil. More information at: https://ballagro.com.br/.
