BVT is also launching two R&D demonstration trials in Michigan.
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc, today announced that the company has tripled its sales commitments among blueberry growers in the US Midwest, signing nine growers, including three of the largest berry producers in the region. BVT is also launching two R&D demonstration trials in Michigan.
Michigan, the main blueberry growing state in the US Midwest, is following the same sales adoption pattern that BVT has experienced in Georgia. In Georgia the initial two years saw increasing levels of interest and market adoption through establishment of a solid foundation with key customers, followed by increased acreage as the experience and word of mouth spread. This was followed by rapid accelerated growth in the third year with 100 per cent customer retention together with a doubling of revenue through acquisition of new customers.
“We now have secured the foundation in Michigan from where we expect to grow along the same path as we paved in Georgia,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of Bee Vectoring Technologies. “More importantly we have now significantly increased our customer base in key US markets, including the Southeast and the Midwest, and continue to make good inroads in the Pacific Northwest and California. We anticipate this strong momentum to continue in lead up to and through this year’s growing season and look forward to announcing more news soon in other US regions.”
Blueberry growers in the Midwest are particularly impacted by Anthracnose fruit rot caused by the fungus Colletotrichum acutatum. It can lead to substantial economic loss through reduced yield, shelf life and fruit quality, with reported pre-harvest fruit losses of 10 to 20 per cent and postharvest losses of up to 100 per cent. It can also cause unacceptably high microbial counts in frozen fruit.
“Anthracnose can be mitigated through chemicals but not rectified altogether,” said Ian Collinson, Sales Manager at Bee Vectoring Technologies. “Midwest growers use the BVT system to combat Anthracnose, reduce early fruit drop, and cut down on chemical pesticide spray intervals and intensity. Large growers looking for new solutions have been especially keen to try the BVT system with its totally organic approach and zero residue.”
These growers will use BVT’s proprietary Vectorite with CR-7 (Clonostachys rosea CR-7) (CR-7) biological fungicide and natural precision agriculture system in the upcoming growing season on about 170 of their approximately 3,000 overall blueberry acres under production. Based on common practice and the actions of previous growers trialling the system, the Company expects these growers will add BVT on increased acreage across their operations in the coming two to three seasons based on positive results.
