Focus Ventures Partners with Premier Nutrient Use Efficiency Company

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Focus Ventures Ltd. (“Focus”) (TSXV:FCV) is pleased to announce it has entered into a Research and New Product Development programme with Verdesian Life Sciences (“Verdesian”) which is based in Cary, North Carolina.  The programme entails creating soil profiles and conducting crop trials combining AVAIL® Phosphorus Fertilizer Enhancer with highly reactive phosphate rock from Focus’s Bayovar 12 project.

Verdesian is a leader in Nutrient Use Efficiency solutions specialized in bringing to the agricultural market technologies which greatly enhance nutrient availability, as well as plant uptake and utilization, enabling a sustainable future for farmers.  Verdesian offers a full suite of products addressing macro- and micronutrient management and efficiency via nitrogen and phosphorus enhancers, seed treatments and inoculants, nutritionals, micronutrients, and crop health chemistries.  AVAIL is a registered trademark of Verdesian Life Sciences.

Focus is developing the Bayovar 12 phosphate deposit located 40 km from the Pacific coast in the Sechura District of northern Peru.  Bayovar 12 hosts a large resource of highly-reactive sedimentary phosphate rock - a key raw material input for phosphate fertilizers and one of the vital nutrients used in world food production.  Reactive phosphate rock from Sechura is a natural, slow-release source of phosphorus that can be applied directly to crops.

Soil profiles have been prepared by Verdesian and wheat crop trial tests are estimated to have results during the second quarter of 2018.  Backed by hundreds of trials, and over 12 years of use by growers in the field covering more than 70 million acres, Verdesian has a long record of proven performance showing that:

• the use of AVAIL increases the amount of phosphorus (P) available for plant uptake up to 45 percent,
   
• more P is available for the plant boosts early-season performance, stress tolerance, crop quality and yield, and
   
• the more P available and taken up by plants, means less P is left behind in the soil subject to off-site movement via soil erosion into waterways.

Key objectives of the programme are:

• to determine if the combination of AVAIL and Bayovar 12 highly reactive phosphate rock as a direct application nutrient, will improve P availability and provide early-season uptake, which means faster root development, improved root structure and stronger stalk,
   
• whether the use of AVAIL with Bayovar 12 highly reactive phosphate rock, as a directly applied nutrient, is especially valuable for soil profiles showing low P levels and their row or cash crops, and
   
• to optimize the AVAIL coating application percentage to Bayovar 12 highly reactive phosphate rock for optimal P efficiency when directly applied.

Focus’s President, Gordon Tainton, commented: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with one of the leading life science groups that is committed to helping row crop and specialty crop growers maximize their agricultural investments through the use of patented biological, nutritional, seed treatment and inoculant technologies.  This further demonstrates our continued commitment to making available as a direct application nutrient, at farm gate level, Bayovar 12 highly reactive phosphate rock with a proven phosphorus enhancement coating.”

About Focus

Focus is developing the Bayovar 12 phosphate deposit located 40 km from the coast in the Sechura District of northern Peru.  Bayovar 12 hosts a large resource of highly-reactive sedimentary phosphate rock - a key raw material input for phosphate fertilizers and vital to world food production.  Reactive phosphate rock from Sechura is a natural, slow-release source of phosphorus that can be applied directly to crops.  One of Focus’s objectives is to supply direct application phosphate rock to the agricultural regions of Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

For further information, please visit our web site www.focusventuresltd.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Simon Ridgway, Chief Executive Officer

Symbol: TSXV-FCV
Shares Issued:  234.4-million

For further information, contact:

Gordon Tainton, President
Tel: 604-248-8380;  Fax: 604-682-1514
Email: info@focusventuresltd.com
Website: www.focusventuresltd.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation.  All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and include, without limitation, statements about the planned research and development programme to be conducted by Verdesian.  Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate”, “estimates”, “estimated”, “potential”, “open”, “future”, “assumed”, “projected”, “used”, “detailed”, “has been”, “gain”, “upgraded”, “offset”, “limited”, “contained”, “reflecting”, “containing”, “remaining”, “to be”, “periodically”, or statements that events, “could” or “should” occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. 

Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements.  Such uncertainties and factors relate to, among other things, information regarding the planned research and development programme to be conducted by Verdesian; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the Company or any joint venture partner not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and  such other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.  Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to: that the research and development programme to be conducted by Verdesian will proceed as anticipated; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; and such other assumptions as set out herein.  Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law.  There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.  Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.