PLPL Plandai Biotechnology Inc (PK)

Plandai Biotechnology, Inc. Completes Stage 1 of Senteeko Phytofare Factory, Readies for Production

Factory Commissioning Set for April 2014

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Mar 18, 2014) -  Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PLPL), a producer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical, today announced that it has completed and successfully tested Stage 1 of its state-of-the-art production facility on the Senteeko Tea Estate in South Africa. Video of the test is available on the company's website at www.plandaibiotech.com. Once fully commissioned, the factory will produce the company's proprietary Phytofare™ Catechin Complex, which is a highly bioavailable green tea extract that will be marketed to nutraceutical companies as an ingredient across a broad spectrum of health and wellness products. 

The company also disclosed that Stage 2 is scheduled to be completed and tested on March 21 with Stage 3 brought online in early April. The final commissioning will take place over April as the company's engineers and scientists fine-tune the equipment, train staff, and test the output for conformity with the product profile.

At capacity, the Senteeko facility can process 400 hectares (988 acres) of live green tea, yielding a total of eight tons of Phytofare™ every month. The facility is designed to also process lemons, which will be used to produce a Limonoid Glycoside Complex. Most of the citrus line equipment has been delivered, though this segment of the facility will not be brought online until later in 2014, pending the completion of additional clinical trials.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roger Duffield commented, "The Senteeko facility will shortly come online, representing the culmination of over ten years of painstaking research and development. As the video shows, Stage 1 is now operational, which allows us to render live plant matter into a slurry that is then pumped into Stage 2 where the molecule is opened up to release the phytonutrients. Stage 3 then separates the various components, removes the water, and yields high purity extract. All of the equipment is in place for Stages 2 and 3 with the electronics, computers and steam piping currently being installed."

The first product to be introduced to the market is Phytofare™ Catechin Complex, which includes the entire catechin profile derived from green tea. Because the company's process requires the use of live plant material, Plandaí situated its facility on the footprint of the old black tea factory within the 8000 acre Senteeko Tea Estate, situated in the Barberton District of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, bordering the Kingdom of Swaziland. 

About Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc.

Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop highly bioavailable, phytonutrient rich extracts which are being utilized to deliver a new family of drugs to safely and affordably treat a multitude of diseases and conditions. Plandaí Biotechnology controls every aspect of the process, from growing the raw materials on its farms in South Africa, to producing its patented Phytofare™ extracts in-house, allowing the Company to guarantee the continuity of supply as well as quality control throughout the entire process. Targeted industries for the Company's products include beverage, cosmeceutical, wellness, nutraceutical, anti-aging, and pharmaceutical. For more information, please visit http://www.plandaibiotech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

The information provided may contain forward-looking statements and involve risks and uncertainties. Results, events and performances could vary from those contemplated. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, expressed or implied, to differ from predicted outcomes. Risks and uncertainties include product demand, market competition, and Plandaí's ability to meet current or future plans. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Plandaí is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, to reflect events or circumstances afterward, or to disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

Contact: Andrew Beyer Phone: 619-202-7456 Email: investor@Plandaíbiotech.com