(Livestock Economy) Awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, in Korea Agricultural Science Technology Contest.

  Seobong Biobestech Co., Ltd. (Mr. Jung Yeon-Kwon as president) said that it had been bestowed with the Award of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest at the Korea Agricultural Science Technology Contest held at the Grand Hall of the Korea Racing Authority on the 10th for its contribution to the development of the antibiotic alternative “Biotite V”, which is one of the best output from agricultural research and development.

  The agricultural science technology award was created to discover useful technologies in the field of agriculture, which would contribute to the income growth and welfare improvement of farmers, thus enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic agricultural technology. The final awardee is selected through a strict screening procedure including first and second audits as well as field research sponsored by the Agricultural R&D Promotion Center (ARPC).

According to ARPC, Biotite V was honoured with the MIAF award for its contribution to excellent technology development and environmental friendly organic livestock products. It has improved disease control, reduction of animal mortality, reduction of ammonia gas, reduction in phosphate, nitrogen, prevention of fungi, and improvement of meat quality.

In particular, it developed functional bio products which, as natural mineral living materials made in Korea, replace antibiotics and growth facilitating drugs which are added to livestock feed and are exported to many countries including Europe, Japan, China and Taiwan.

Assistant Minister of MIAF emphasized “It is critical to develop the agricultural technologies for our agriculture to become a technology‐intensive high‐valued industry on a continual basis”. He added “To acquire agricultural competitiveness, we should expand our R&D investment.”

  ■ Seobong Biobestech Co., Ltd.
  Seobong Biobestech Co., Ltd. is a bio venture company which has been specializing in bio engineering products for the past 12 years. It has been supplying environment‐friendly products that enhance the health of humans in the 21st century, the eco‐friendly biotechnology era. Designated as a small and medium sized technology development venture business by the MIAF and subsidized by the government from Aug. 2001 until Aug. 2004, it has developed an alternative product to antibiotics, “Biotite V,” in cooperation with a team led by Prof. Kim In‐Ho, Bio Resource Department of Dankook University and Livestock Research Center under the MIAF. Currently, the company is concentrating on the development of fantastic new drugs such as medicines which have no toxic effect and are low in price. It has achieved an excellent breakthrough by developing a natural material which was found to have excellent efficacy in several experiments when a laboratory recognized by the KFDA conducted several tests of medicines for cancer, obesity and atopy. Biotite V is one of the most popular products, 4,000 to 5,000 tons of which have been supplied to 10,000 farms, agricultural cooperatives and feed plants nationwide for all kinds of livestock.

  ■ What is Biotite V?
  An alternative to antibiotics, Biotite V is a natural mineral material which replaces the products which have been imported from overseas up to now. Patents have been acquired in 24 countries including China (July 2005), USA (October 2005) as well as Korea (Patent No. 0343367).

What the most significant characteristic is that Biotite V does not use any antibiotics, but helps produce high quality and safe dairy products. On top of that, it helps to reduce the cause of soil and water contamination by 82%. Also, it is an environment friendly product as it reduces the emission of ammonia gas by 64%.

In particular, this product is recognized as the world's best product that can reduce the use of antibiotics and medicines by preventing salmonella poisoning and by improving the immune system.

Because its content has been publicized among domestic animal associations three times already from 2002 to 2004, the product has been in the spotlight, getting attention from interested persons from Europe and China.

Its efficacy and safety have been verified through world best laboratories throughout the world including the National Feed Processing Technology Center at the China Agricultural University, Japan Medical Clinic Center, Commercial Farm in Spain and Commercial Farm in the Philippines.

In November, 2003, we exported 20 tons of the products for the first time after an experiment conducted by an animal drug company in Spain. As the subsequent experiments also showed the good efficacy and effect of the product, the exporting volume has been increasing with an additional large export in October 2004.

In the same year, a veterinarian team recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries completed the successful experiment and test on Biotite V. Subsequently, a license was granted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to sell the product in Japan.

In May 2004, China’s Ministry of Agriculture finished the verification process on the product, which had been going on for 2 years. They then allowed the product to be sold, recognizing the product called Biotite V as a new feed and a new material alternative to antibiotics. The company achieved its first export to China with 20 tons of products in April 2005. We received an export request in the same month from Taiwan, and entering the international spotlight.

Reporter Han Jeong-Hee penergy@chukkyung.co.kr
 Excerpted from Livestock Economy of 10 Nov 2005