Wedonay.com Report on Mar 18th, Bio-Gene Technology Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia, has signed a non-binding term sheet with Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Nagashima Trading Co., Ltd. to develop and market household insecticide products in Japan using its botanical active ingredient, Qcide. The companies plan to launch products targeting household nuisance insects in the Japanese market by the end of 2026, where the annual sales of household insecticides are approximately $1 billion.
Under the collaboration arrangement, Bio-Gene will produce Qcide oil at its plantation in Queensland, Australia, and supply it to Japan. Sumitomo will be responsible for coordinating orders, trade financing, logistics, and import approvals, while Nagashima will handle formulation, packaging, promotion, and distribution to retail stores. The finished products are expected to be sold through home improvement stores, drugstores, supermarkets, and online marketplaces in Japan. Bio-Gene stated that a final agreement with its partners is expected to be completed by the end of April or early May.
Qcide is a botanical insecticidal ingredient extracted via steam distillation from eucalyptus biomass grown at Bio-Gene's Queensland plantation. It has been listed by the U.S.-based Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) as a botanical pesticide compliant with organic production standards. In Japan, household insecticides targeting pests such as ants, cockroaches, and flies can be sold without the same regulatory approvals required for agricultural or public health insecticides, provided they are solely for use against household nuisance pests.
According to market data cited by Bio-Gene, synthetic chemicals accounted for approximately 68.5% of the Japanese household insecticide market in 2024, but demand for products based on natural ingredients continues to grow. Melbourne-headquartered Bio-Gene focuses on developing insecticides derived from natural compounds, typically collaborating with commercial partners to supply active ingredients and assist in formulating them into finished products for distribution.
