Ag tech company claims win against bugs

He decided in September to back the BGT boffins on the basis of their research designed to tackle the problem of increasing pesticide resistance by the bugs that can spoil up to 70 per cent of grain in storage.

On December 6, the company announced its Flavocide had now demonstrated control over offspring of one of the most common pests, the adult Lesser grain borer.

BGT believes that "Flavocide has the potential to create formulations that will enable control of the full range of pests including pests resistant to other classes of chemistry".

On Thursday last week, BGT topped that by revealing that university tests have demonstrated that Flavocide also has the potential to control major insecticide-resistant species of mosquito which carry diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and the zika virus.

On December 2, there was only one trade in BGT shares - some clever person bought 5000 at 14c. On Thursday last week more than eight million shares changed hands and the shares peaked at 32c before the inevitable profit-taking trimmed them back.

Nobody, alas, is taking profits on shares in Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies (ROO). The Punter hates to lock in losses, but he is selling them while his holding is still saleable.

Meanwhile, he has bought 2000 units of Clean Seas Seafood's 8pc convertible loan stock (CSSG), for a total cost of $2078. They yield 7.7pc, which is better than money in the bank, and carry the right to buy the shares at an 8pc discount.

Clean Seas has had a somewhat chequered history. But sales are up 17pc and the company became cash-flow positive in the three months to the end of September, so the Punter is hoping to net a little income and perhaps land a profit.