GfK Kynetec announces acquisition of AIS

GfK Kynetec, the global leader in market research for the crop protection, biotechnology and animal health industries, announced today the acquisition of the non-crop business of Agricultural Information Services (AIS), London, UK. The acquisition enables GfK Kynetec to serve as the sole supplier of detailed data on the total global usage of crop protection products - within agriculture and in all other applications.

“GfK Kynetec will be uniquely placed to offer clients a research and consultancy service based on detailed quantitative data on all uses of chemicals and biologicals”

AIS has conducted market research to track the development of the non-crop industry since 1992. GfK Kynetec will leverage and expand the AIS programme to launch a new global non-crop research study, sigmaNC™. The new study will quantify the use of formulated, branded products and their constituent active ingredients by market segment in all applications outside crop agriculture, and will comprise annual coverage of 22 core countries. This geographical scope will provide data accounting for approximately 70 percent of the world market. The expanded coverage will be supplemented by additional studies every two to four years for additional country markets.

The new sigmaNC offering, together with its established sigma™ programme, which for more than 25 years has provided data on the global agricultural crop protection market, allows GfK Kynetec to provide the only source of detailed information on the total global usage of crop protection products - within agriculture and beyond.

"GfK Kynetec will be uniquely placed to offer clients a research and consultancy service based on detailed quantitative data on all uses of chemicals and biologicals," said Dr. Antony Goulds, director, GfK Kynetec.

AIS will continue to operate in the pesticide market and conduct other market research activities that are non-competitive with GfK Kynetec. In addition to continuing his role with AIS, company founder Rod Parker will join GfK Kynetec as an associate director to assist in establishing GfK Kynetec in this area of business.