São Paulo, March 31, 2016 - A product that is able to ensure lightness and provide protection against moisture, rodents, and environmental dirt, the raffia packaging made from polypropylene by Braskem - the largest thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas - are returning to the market for treated seed storage after 10 years.

The return of plastic packaging was made possible by the amendment, by the Ministry of Agriculture, of Normative Instruction 9/2005. Treated seed storage, formerly limited to paper bags (multiwall), now may include other types of packaging, provided that they are "new packaging, made of material with proven durability, technical strength and efficiency and that do not pose a risk to human or animal health."

The request for the amendment came from Braskem, the Brazilian Association of Polyolefin Fibers Producers (Afipol), Embrapa, and the Paraná Seed and Seedling Committee (CSM). The studies were monitored by Ademir Assis Henning, Ph.D. in Seed Pathology from Embrapa Soja - Londrina (PR), who conducted the experiments submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture. "We assessed two different crops and monitored the behavior of seeds in multiwall paper and raffia, made of polypropylene, for over 120 days. We noted that there were no losses with the use of raffia. On the contrary, plastic packaging showed better performance for the handling by the farmer," said Henning.

The plastic resin packaging has many advantages over paper, as it can be transparent, allowing the viewing of the seed color and type, and provides greater protection against moisture, rodents, and environmental dirt. In addition, the packaging is more durable and lightweight, optimizing the logistic process. "Those were two intense years of work to prove and present the technological advances and innovations promoted by the packaging and seed industry, which, once again, put the raffia packaging on the market in conditions to serve the segment," explained André Giglio, Market Development Specialist for Braskem.

"Seed producers had been using plastic raffia packaging in products without treatment, given its greater resilience. With the change in the regulations, we believe that the demand from the treated seed market should increase in a short period of time," said Marcelo Vivolo, CEO of Embrasa.

With the amendment to the Regulation, since October 2015, producers of seed submitted to industrial treatment have been provided with another packaging option and the segment, once again, is operating in a market that consumes over 30 million packages every year, which can reach a volume of approximately three metric tons of resins year. "Raffia consumption is expected to increase, and we are already witnessing that in our company, with the increased demand. We have orders for the coming months, and the customers from the whole country are requesting samples to test the product," said Jefferson Chezanoski, Commercial Supervisor of Procopio Indústria e Comércio.

"This work, conducted in partnership with Afipol, Embrapa and CSM/PR, is an achievement that favors the entire production chain, bringing benefits to the end consumer," said Marco Boix, Commercial Leader of raffia segment of Braskem.

About Braskem

Braskem is the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, with an annual output of over 20 million metric tons, including production of other basic chemicals and petrochemicals, with R$54 billion in annual revenue. With the aim of improving the lives of people, creating sustainable solutions in chemistry and plastics, Braskem is present in over 70 countries, with 8,000 members, and operates 40 industrial units located in Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Mexico - the latter in partnership with the Mexico-based company Idesa.

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For more information, please contact:

CDN Comunicação

Priscila Ventura - +55 11 3643-2744 - priscila.ventura@cdn.com.br

Ana Beatriz Paschoal - +55 11 3643-2737 - anabeatriz.paschoal@cdn.com.br

Priscila Nishimori - +55 11 3643-2802 - priscila.nishimori@cdn.com.br