Casterra Announces a Key Milestone in its Operational Expansion Plan in Africa, with Completion of First Shipment of Castor Seeds Grown and Processed in Kenya

(Casterra Ag) The shipment, comprising over 100 tons, was delivered to company's customer in Africa -- Casterra Ag Ltd. ("Casterra"), an integrated castor cultivation solution company for oil production for bio-based products and biofuel, and a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. ("Evogene") (Nasdaq: EVGN) (TASE: EVGN), today (October 29, 2024) announced a key milestone in its operational expansion plan in Africa with the delivery of its first shipment of over 100 tons of castor seeds to its customer in Africa, seeds that were cultivated at several sites in Kenya and processed in a seed production facility near Naivasha, Kenya. The production facility started operating in August 2024 as part of Casterra's expansive operational infrastructure in Kenya.

This shipment of castor seeds, developed by Casterra and produced in Kenya, is the first to complete the entire cultivation and processing cycle in Kenya. The company is now focused on preparing upcoming shipments, which will be delivered to its customers over the coming months. Currently, approximately 700 additional hectares are sown with Casterra's premium varieties in Kenya, with harvest expected later this year and into early 2025.

The castor seeds in this shipment were cultivated by experienced local growers, and following harvest underwent an industrial-scale processing phase, which included dehulling, cleaning, sorting and packaging. Casterra's professional team oversaw and managed the entire cultivation and seed processing cycle, ensuring adherence to protocols and quality control standards.

Casterra's seed production operation in Kenya provides the company with a commercial advantage as it allows supply in geographic proximity to its customers in Africa, saving time and money on shipping costs while also supporting the local economy and agricultural practices.

Casterra's castor varieties were developed using Evogene's GeneRator AI tech-engine and undergo rigorous testing to meet industry standards. The company is actively working to develop new castor seed varieties that will demonstrate improved performance over existing ones.

Mr. Yoash Zohar, Casterra's CEO stated: "Over the past year Casterra invested significant efforts in solidifying its operational infrastructure in Africa, to ensure a stable supply of castor seeds to our customers in this region. We are satisfied with the collaborations with local growers in Kenya and with the dedication of our team members who support Casterra's seed cultivation and production activities in Kenya. We were excited to witness the first shipment leaving the seed production facility near Naivasha on its way to our customer in Africa. I am pleased to note that the company has taken yet another important step toward becoming a leading global supplier of castor seeds for oil production for bio-based products and biofuel."

Casterra is engaged in developing and commercializing high-yielding castor bean seeds as a cost-competitive, sustainable, second-generation feedstock for the growing biofuel market. It has built its castor genetic assets based on a broad collection of over 300 castor lines from over 40 different geographic and climatic regions. As part of its development process, Casterra applies advanced breeding methods utilizing Evogene's GeneRator AI tech-engine, enabling the use of cutting-edge plant genomics tools and agro-technique expertise to enable efficient and sustainable industrial-scale production of the castor bean.

Evogene (Nasdaq: EVGN, TASE: EVGN) is a computational biology company aiming to revolutionize the development of life-science based products by utilizing cutting edge technologies to increase the probability of success while reducing development time and cost. Evogene established three unique tech-engines - MicroBoost AI, ChemPass AI and GeneRator AI – leveraging Big Data and Artificial Intelligence and incorporating deep multidisciplinary understanding in life sciences. Each tech-engine is focused on the discovery and development of products based on one of the following core components: microbes (MicroBoost AI), small molecules (ChemPass AI), and genetic elements (GeneRator AI).

Evogene uses its tech-engines to develop products through subsidiaries and strategic partnerships. Evogene's subsidiaries currently utilize the tech-engines to develop human microbiome-based therapeutics by Biomica, ag-biologicals by Lavie Bio, ag-chemicals by AgPlenus and castor varieties, for biofuel and other industries, by Casterra.