UPL Europe has joined the easyconnect Working Group (ECWG) committed to bring the easyconnect Closed Transfer System (CTS) to the European market. With this new member, all leading ag-industry players in Europe are now striving to get their product portfolio to be compatible with the easyconnect CTS.
This unique cross-industry effort of the Working Group companies – ADAMA, BASF, Bayer, Belchim Crop Protection, Certis Europe, Corteva Agriscience, FMC Corporation, Nufarm, Rovensa Group, Syngenta and UPL Europe – will provide farmers in Europe with a new generation of filling methods that improves safety for operators and the environment while allowing for fast and easy handling.
Olivier de Matos, Director General, CropLife Europe, explains: “CropLife Europe welcomes this very positive development. With UPL Europe joining, there is a full representation of our corporate members in the easyconnect Working Group. Closed transfer systems are vital technologies that can play a key role in increasing the safety for operators and reducing the potential for environmental exposure from crop protection products. Through the promotion and distribution of these technologies, our industry has therefore committed to making these technologies available to all farmers by 2030.”
Micha Mosco, Packaging Project Manager, Global Operations, ADAMA, and chair of the easyconnect Working Group steering committee explains: “With UPL Europe on board we are paving the way for a broad use of CTS in Europe. This is great news for farmers as products from multiple manufacturers will be compatible with the same CTS, which is easyconnect, making farm operations easier.”
“We are very proud to be part of such a great project that fits perfectly with our OpenAg concept, creating a strong network that changes the way a whole industry thinks and works, opening it all up to new ideas, new ways, new answers in a more sustainable way,” adds Olivier Bocquet, Head Supply Chain & Manufacturing, UPL Europe. “We believe that the implementation of CTS benefits both operator safety and environmental sustainability and will have long-lasting beneficial effects. It also offers our valued UPL customers greater security engagement via industry-wide collaboration. That is why we are supporting the development of CTS, including easyconnect.”
The first market launch of the easyconnect CTS is expected in Denmark and the Netherlands in 2022, followed by France, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2023. Other countries are likely to follow.
The easyconnect system is an open technology that is available to all interested agricultural parties. Further industry players in the agrochemical sector, equipment manufacturers or any other parties interested in joining the launch of easyconnect are encouraged to contact any of the member companies.
For more information, please visit our website www.easyconnect.tech.
About easyconnect and the easyconnect Working Group
The easyconnect closed transfer system (CTS) for liquid crop protection products consists of two components: a unique cap – pre-fitted on the containers – and a coupler. It makes filling the sprayer faster, easier and safer than conventional methods. Developed by BASF in collaboration with third-party equipment manufacturers, easyconnect is accessible to all interested parties in the market. The easyconnect Working Group consists of interested companies that are piloting easyconnect in selected countries. As of September 2021, they are ADAMA, BASF, Bayer, Belchim Crop Protection, Certis Europe, Corteva Agriscience, FMC Corporation, Nufarm, Rovensa Group, Syngenta and UPL Europe.
