WHY FRUIT FLY CONTROL PRODUCTS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION EXPORTERS NEED?
By Dr. NIMROD
“to do things better, one must do things differently. “The article tackles general problems common to the Agri-sector in the rising economies” EMAIL FROM A FARMER Let me make it clear right from the start – Biofeed can’t sell ONLY the FreeDome units. In other words, if you will contact me, as this farmer did, and you say – “I have this huge problem with fruit flies! My fruits are infested; I cannot export because of the high infestation rate! I have heard about the FreeDome – a wonderful solution for fruit fly control. It can change my life by removing the fruit fly problem. I want to pay and buy it immediately. Please give me your price, as I need your fruit fly solution urgently. Thanks.“ With a heavy heart, my answer will be somewhat like this – “Dear FARMER, thank you for your interest. As much as I understand your pain and would love to help, your request cannot be delivered the way you expect it. Please understand that we, at Biofeed, do not think that a short-term solution (which you ask me for) is what farmers need. After all, for so many years, agrochemical companies offer only the pin-point short-term sort of solutions, from which farmers extract little benefit, and often the benefit is even negative. Biofeed thinks and acts as a professional company, looking on the entire value chain, with a long-term view of solving the fruit fly problem as part of its broader activity to benefit farmers and all other value-chain partners. Biofeed’s view is that technology alone is in no way the Solution. After all, farmers in emerging markets are exposed to the same technologies as other farmers worldwide, but it is not sufficient, and they are lagging. Technology can serve you well only when it is applied as part of a Holistic System Approach. You wouldn’t ask (or think) to apply sterile flies, separately from the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) protocol. You wouldn’t deep your fruits in hot water, separately from a ‘Hot Water Sanitation Bath’ protocol. The same is with FreeDome, which is applied as part of the Fruit Fly Certified Trade Zone (FFCTZ) protocol, and used accordingly. WE HAVE A MISSION [INCLUDING SUPPORTING YOU] Biofeed acts in light of its MISSION – “To enable consumers to enjoy better and healthier food and life, while growing produce in a safe, eco-friendly environment, and improving farmers’ livelihood.” To catapult the fulfillment of our mission, we focus on the most competent farmers, who can quickly exploit the use of advanced technologies and protocols. Professional farmers, aiming and growing for export markets, fit precisely to the above description and requirements. Moreover, we regard export and mainly export of agro-produce as a critical link in the value chain to develop and energize the entire agro-industry. In my eyes, exporters are the ones who will bring prosperity to their countries and the ones to serve as an example for the mass to emulate. This is why we focus on supporting the export of agro-produce and its E2E (End to End) value chain. EXPORTER’S NEEDS Even when you have the best fruit fly control solution, the best fruit fly monitoring, the best packinghouse, the best and tastiest fruits, etc.; If you want to export, Then the regulatory authorities at the target market will ask you, “what fruit fly management protocol do you use? This is the heart of it all – farmers invest in the long-term and deserve a long-term export ability solution. The only long-term fruit fly solution for fruit exporters in Africa, Asia, and Latin America is an effective FRUIT FLY SYSTEM APPROACH MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL (FFSAMP). It couldn’t be simpler than that; either you use an effective FFSAMP, or you don’t. If you don’t, you gamble on your business results and future, as gamblers do in a casino. Just like ISO, in industrial production, it is the Protocol (the technology alone is only one of the elements) that is securing your future by making sure you always meet the required quality. I wish to emphasize that using a single element, such as the FreeDome, will give its advantages, but for sure, not ALL the benefits you can get from FFSAMP usage. Remember, the ultimate goal is to provide consumers with the best produce for the most excellent satisfaction so that you will get the highest return for your investment. EXPORT BAN If you want to export from a territory that suffers badly from fruit flies, it is highly probable that your country is already under an Export Ban or is risking one because of fruit flies. If you don’t want to continue gambling on your future and if you want to export freely and continuously, you need to upgrade your operation to an improved FFSAMP. It would help if you had a far better FFSAMP than the one currently used, which is responsible for the fact that you (and your country) are facing hardship with export. Only fruit fly control that is performed within the framework of a proper FFSAMP will enable you safely, and surly achieve your long-term targets. For Biofeed, controlling fruit flies within the framework of a defined and tested FFSAMP is the most professional and honest act, we can offer farmers, exporters, and value-chain partners. Such an approach is perfectly in-line with our mission -“To enable consumers to enjoy better and healthier food and life, while growing produce in a safe, eco-friendly environment, and improving farmers’ livelihood. WHY THERE IS A NEED FOR A PROTOCOL? Most farmers are used to operate in the following “simple, straight forward way” Problem: There is a problem with a Pest that is infesting their crop. Action: They react by spraying it or control it in some other way. End of the story! Wait, not so fast. As you well know, this is not ‘The End. ”The End’ is when Exporters manage to export, and importers easily import while meeting the regulatory requirements. When it comes to quarantine pests, such as Fruit Flies, the Plant Protection and Inspection authorities at export markets, put stringent management requirements and barriers. The most common demand is asking to present the kind of FFSAMP that you are using. In the case that you need a FFSAMP, your path to a solution will look a bit different, with a different set of activities and results; Problem: Fruit flies infesting your crop. Action: Application of the FFSAMP. End of the story. Biofeed’s FFSAMP is named The Fruit Fly Certified Trade Zone Protocol (FFCTZ). The FFCTZ protocol is managed, applied, and QA run by Biofeed team of experts, and of course, with your close involvement and cooperation. Note that here you ‘meet’ the FreeDome fruit fly solution, which is applied as part of the FFCTZ protocol. Other FFSAMP – when you use an ineffective FFSAMP, you are risking Export Ban to your business, other exporters’ operation, and the importing country. Eventually, while that will result in an Export Ban, YOU, with ALL the farmers of your country, will appear on the Export Ban list! PROTOCOL AND MANAGEMENT LEAD TO QUALITY The aim of a Fruit Fly System Approach Managed Protocol (FFSAMP) is to assure the quality of the fruits that consumers are getting. You assure the quality by using advanced protocols developed by professionals and after that, managed and implemented by professional teams. Whatever you do, whatever we do, our joint target is – high quality produce. High-quality produce is not a luxury. Importing countries expect to see a high-quality System Approach Protocol, led by a professional team from the beginning (the field) to the end (the consumer market). Hence, the professional team is fully responsible for the Protocol design, implementation, and quality control throughout the entire value chain. The chain is as strong as the weakest link, which is why we make sure to strengthen all links in the value chain for the benefit of all partners. Therefore, full and central Fruit Fly System Approach Management Protocol (FFSAMP) is a prerequisite for enabling export. The Protocol quality is used by the Plant Protection and Inspection (PPI) authorities in the importing countries as a signal of the expected produce quality. The PPI wants to review the Protocol and the responsible professional expert/team managing, implementing, and controlling its quality.. LONG-TERM PLAYERS Understanding that without a highly efficient Fruit Fly System Approach Management Protocol, we are risking our clients’ future, Biofeed engaged in the difficult task of developing such a protocol. When designing such a protocol, we took note that designated professional teams always perform advanced protocols, not the farmers themselves. After a lengthy and costly process, we finally came up with breaking through, customizable protocol, which we call – Fruit Fly Certified Trade Zone (FFCTZ). WHAT MAKES FFCTZ DIFFERENT? Many things differentiate the FFCTZ protocol from the old generation protocols. For example, by reducing spray usage by 100% and fruit fly infestation by 99%. That is versus the standard commercial protocols of chemicals Sprays & Traps & Sanitation, which typical results are 50%offruit fly infestation. Also, the FFCTZ enables us to democratize business opportunities and makes it accessible to millions of farmers in emerging economies. This is very important, so let me elaborate on that unprecedented massive opportunity for countries to advance their economy by increasing fresh fruits export. Today only wealthy countries can afford to run the most advanced FFSAMP, such as Sterile Insect Techniques (SIT).You are probably aware that SIT cannot effectively control the fruit flies of Africa, Asia, and most of America. Why? Because those protocols require/involve:* Costly infrastructure. * Very-large-scale application (often tens of thousands hectares). * High price tag of millions of dollars per year. Furthermore, to apply the system, there is a need to develop special fruit fly strains, build a factory, grow the flies in the factories, etc. That process can take tens of years and a budget of well over $ 100M.It means that it is out of reach for most, if not all, emerging economies, which are based on agro-economies. |
Democratizing computers and information.
It reminds me how 50 years ago, a mainframe computer cost well over $2M each, and it required a large skilled team to operate.
At that time, only the biggest and wealthiest universities and organizations could have one (just one).
Those days the PC, the laptop, and smartphone, which anyone can operate, cost $200 and have far better performance than those big, costly (old) mainframe computers.
Thanks to the extensive availability and low cost of PC, laptop, and smart-phones, the world of computers is democratized; most people have access to computers and the same information.
Democratizing fruit fly control and export
The Biofeed FFCTZ protocol is doing the same to the world of Fruit Fly System Approach Managed Protocols.
Unlike the massive, large-scale, costly protocols that take years to initiate, require the state involvement, and a budget of $ millions, the Biofeed FFCTZ protocol can be ordered and used by anyone in the value chain; farmer/exporter/importer/packinghouse, etc.
The FFCTZ protocol requires no infrastructure or massive overhead costs. Zero!!
To apply it, you don’t need thousands of hectares (or more), but as little as 50 hectares may be sufficient to start with.
You don’t need to wait years before you will (maybe) see the results, but instead, with FFCTZ protocol, you will see the results already within the first season.
This is how I see the path to democratize all farmers’ business opportunities, regardless of where they are.
Finally, all farmers are on level ground when it comes to export opportunities in light of the problems that quarantine fruit flies pose.
WHAT YOU ASK AND WHAT YOU NEED
Dear Farmer friend, when you contact me, you have one thing in your mind,
“how do I get rid of those horrible fruit flies that are infesting my fruits, killing my business and future.
As a result, you ask for what seems the most normal, in your eyes, “give me something to get rid of those flies.
Knowing the fresh fruits market and the Plant Protection and Inspection work process, I realize that although you asked for a Product, what you need to succeed and export is working and tested proper Protocol.
To be precise, you needed a Fruit Fly System Approach Management Protocol to cover all aspects involving Export and Fruit flies.
Now you too understand the WHY (we are not selling ONLY the FreeDome units).
By refusing your request for a short-term solution, I open an opportunity for a comprehensive long-term solution, the FFCTZ protocol.
This is Biofeed’s way to assist you in protecting your interests, your money, and your agri-business.
This way, we also protect your country’s long-term economic interests and the professional interests of the Plant Protection and Inspection authorities.
Biofeed and I would love to work with you wherever you are around the globe.
We would do so as long as we ensure that it protects your long-term interest, and we can bring high value to your business through increased export.
EXPORTERS / IMPORTERS
For the first time, you have a unique opportunity to ensure Mangoes and Avocadoes’ quality that you get to export or import.
Fruit fly infestation and chemical residues can become a distant memory of the past when you work according to the FFCTZ protocol.
I’m confident that now your questions will be more precise, but mostly, with a deeper understanding of what you can expect and what you should be ready.
There are more questions, such as the ones below, which we will discuss in due time.
How do you realize it?
Can we apply it in our territory?
How long before I see the results?
How much is it going to costs me?
The answers to the above questions, as well as many others, may vary between territories, farms, crops, teams (of farmers), the specific fruit fly species or a mix of species (there are 4,000 species!), treated (and potential) area, urgency, the integrity, and quality of the value chain, partners, Government support, etc.
In short, no need to overthink the answers; contact me, ask, then I ask, then we discuss, and then we decide how to proceed.
If you like this concept and you relate to it, then let’s talk and discuss your options to kick-start your economy or national scale operation using advanced economic models, protocols, and field-tested proven agricultural technologies.
Let’s see how together we can take a GIANT step forward and bring high-value business and market results.
See you soon,
Nimrod
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