Newark, Delaware
March 30, 1998Strategic Diagnostics Inc., a leading provider of
biotechnology-based diagnostic tests for the water treatment, agricultural and industrial
markets today announced it has entered into a product supply agreement with Delta and Pine
Land Company of Scott, Mississippi (NYSE:DLP), the world’s largest supplier of cotton
planting seed. This agreement to supply about 1.4 million tests is the second supply
agreement between the two companies and follows the successful use of SDI’s
immunoassay-based test kits in D&PL’s quality assurance program for genetically
engineered cotton varieties in 1997. This 1998 agreement represents a 40% increase in test
kits over the 1 million units used by D&PL in the 1997 season.
Delta and Pine Land Company is the world’s leading supplier of genetically engineered
cotton
planting seed. In response to the enthusiastic acceptance by cotton growers of this new
technology, D&PL will initiate seed increases of 27 new varieties in 1998 to
approximately double
the transgenic cotton varieties it has available.
According to Andy Drummond, Vice President of Quality Assurance for Delta and Pine Land,
"The testing technology developed and manufactured by SDI is an important element in
maintaining the high level of quality which our customers expect from these new products.
The rapid, accurate testing procedure allows us to do our initial transgenic quality check
while the trucks are waiting to unload. These kits are so easy to use that they
allow our remote international locations to use them with as much confidence as our US
Quality Assurance personnel."
Richard C. Birkmeyer, President and CEO of SDI commented, "Currently our test kits
are used
primarily in breeding programs for new cotton and corn varieties and for quality assurance
during
transgenic seed production and conditioning. We fully expect new applications to continue
to
develop along with the acceptance of this new agricultural technology. We are very pleased
with
the value that our products are providing to Delta and Pine Land and our other customers.
Recently SDI has signed agreements to develop and supply similar tests for other companies
involved in transgenic crop development and we are very excited about the opportunities in
this growing market."
Strategic Diagnostics is a leading provider of biotechnology-based diagnostic tests for a
broad
range of agricultural, industrial and water-treatment applications. Through its TSD
BioServices
subsidiary, Strategic Diagnostics also provides antibody and immunoreagent research and
development services. Strategic Diagnostics' test kits are produced in a variety of
formats suitable
for field and laboratory use, offering advantages of accuracy, cost-effectiveness,
portability, and
rapid response.
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