Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-funded company providing new technologies to extend the shelf life of produce and fight food waste, and AMR Agro, a tropical grower in the Dominican Republic, report the successful implementation of Hazel Tech® solutions across their global product offering.
AMR Agro says Hazel Tech’s solutions for various tropical commodities allowed it to to protect its products and enhance its export programs.
The Dominican Republic has positioned itself to increase its share of the global avocado market through marketing campaigns, production optimizations and strategic exportation plans like the Executing Quality Export Program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These efforts are paying off and an increased global demand means farms are looking for new ways to extend their supply. AMR benefited from a 40 percent improvement in quality during the 2020 season noted by reduction of rejections at arrival and increased firmness. Now closing on their third year of partnership, AMR Agro attributes its quality success to its experienced farm practices and Hazel technology that was first introduced to the operations in 2018.
“We started three years ago in commercial trials and have grown the program ever since” said Paul Reyes, co-owner of Dominican Republic-based AMR Agro. “Hazel Tech’s ability to tailor solutions for various tropical commodities allows us to not only use Hazel Tech to protect our top-selling products, but also enhance our export programs to long-distance locations such as Spain, the Netherlands, France and the U.K.”
Right: Paul Reyes
For international freight programs, extending shelf life by double-digits amounts to savings for both the shipper and receiver. During initial trials, Hazel Tech’s ability to protect the tropical avocados’ firmness foreshadowed the potential to positively impact AMR Agro’s bottom line. Today with Hazel Tech fully integrated throughout AMR Agro’s operations “we see waste reduction savings of as much as $3,200 per container. Over the past three years AMR shipped upwards of 300 containers worldwide and the value of Hazel translates to over $500K in savings and a more sustainable global environment,” said Reyes.
“The global impact Hazel Technologies can make in the reduction of food waste is profound and what drives our company to continue to innovate and expand our reach,” said Aidan Mouat, CEO of Hazel Technologies. “According to a recent report with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, tropicals show the fastest average annual growth rate among all internationally traded food commodities, developing more waste-reducing technologies for the tropical fruit supply chain is a top priority.”
Right: Aidan Mouat
For more information:
Jaime Kedrowski
Hazel Technologies
Tel: +1 (559) 321-2146
jaime@hazeltechnologiesinc.com
https://www.hazeltechnologies.com/