Hygrotech focuses on bio-friendly crop production

This is according to Habe Roode, CEO of Hygrotech Properties Pty (Ltd) a leader in developing and distributing vegetable seeds and eco-friendly chemicals, who says that these and new initiatives are driving growth and supporting sustainable agriculture.

"Bio-friendly crop production is a key driver of the African Green Revolution, and involves an integrated approach between using harmless 'green' chemicals and organic products supported by an investment mandate."

Disease resistances

Roode explains that sustainable solutions to food security are two-fold. "Hygrotech's hybrid growing technologies involves sourcing and distributing naturally bred hybrid seed to supply growers with the best genetic material available. Parent lines of specific varieties are hand pollinated in a controlled environment, such as a green house to create F1 hybrid seed."

These F1 hybrid seeds have a wide range of inbred disease resistances and have the potential for high yields. Because of their disease resistances they also need a lot less harmful pesticides to obtain the highest yields possible.

Secondly, the production and use of biological friendly organic and soft chemical products does not harm the environment. "With one of the largest technical teams in the industry, we have an integrated approach between developing chemical and organic products. We do not produce or sell any chemical product that falls under the yellow (toxic) or red (very toxic) registration categories."

Soil quality is not tarnished

Roode says that by supplying bio-friendly products that offer improved yield capabilities, Hygrotech ensures that farmers are able to produce crops with affordable input costs. "Food security is a direct result of looking after your soil. We have a range of carbon and micro element formulations, containing soil ameliorants that improve soil while fertilising it. This ensures that the quality of the soil is not tarnished as a result of over farming and chemical contamination."

From an environmental perspective, the use and application of sustainable solutions and products is vital to ensuring that sustainability in agriculture and food security is effective. "By improving the soil instead of depleting it we ensure that the generations to come will still be able to farm land that would otherwise be barren."

Rudi van Niekerk, investment advisor at Agri-Vie, the sub-Saharan private equity fund investing in food and agri-business, and a principal shareholder in Hygrotech, says that Hygrotech's success is in line with Agri-Vie's expectations of growth in this sector. The collaboration between industry experts allows for a business to develop in its own sustainable manner. "One of our key mandates is to combine agribusiness investments that have strong growth potential, whilst also making a positive impact on the local communities and the environment in which they operate.

Strict mandates in place

"Hygrotech has a sustainable solutions strategy and with opportunities to grow quickly, Agri-Vie was in a position to provide them with equity funding and support. With strict mandates in place, corporate governance allows the company to meet its environmental, social and governance objectives and gives it more structure to be more sustainable. It also ensures that the agricultural sector grows economically," says Van Niekerk.

Roode says that bio-friendly crop production is being well received and is the future of agriculture. "We provide approximately 4 500 commercial famers in South Africa and a growing market in Southern Africa. Sustainable agri-business is not just about providing seeds and chemicals, but is about offering farmers the complete package with whatever they require to farm successfully with sustainable solutions."