| Bacillus Thuringiensis is typically a pathogenic, spore-forming and rod-shaped aerobic bacteria used in controlling proliferation of mosquitoes "� Aedies, Anopheles, Culex and other species at the larvae stage "� that spread dengue, chikungunya, malaria, filaria and Japanese encephalitis. |
| The bacteria is produced from renewable energy sources unlike chemical larvicides that cause depletion of petroleum resources. The biolarvicide technology has been developed by Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Pondicherry. |
| Briefing mediapersons after signing the MoU, D Mallikarjun Reddy, managing director of Coromandal Biotech, said that the company was setting up a processing plant to take up large-scale production of biolarvicide at Renigunta near Tirupati, involving an investment of around Rs 70 lakh. |
| "Initially, the plant will have the capacity to manufacture 100 tonnes of biolarvicide. Depending on the response and demand for the product, we intend to scale up our investments to Rs 1 crore," he said. The company expects the manufacturing plant to go on stream by March 2007. |
| According to Reddy, the company was initiating aggressive strategies to market the bio-pesticide. "We are currently in talks with all the corporations, municipalities and mandal revenue offices to prove the effectiveness of this technology, and are awaiting in-principle approvals from the state government for supply of the bio-pesticide," he said. |
| The company expects the biolarvicide technology to contribute Rs 10 crore to its turnover in the first year. |
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