Rodrigo Domenzain, CEO of Amar Hydroponics, couldn't help being surprised when he learned about the use given to habanero peppers in Japan.
In the land of the rising sun, the habanero pepper powder is mixed with the plastic covering fiberoptic cables so that the rats don't damage the data transmission lines. According to Domenzain, this procedure is less expensive and easier to perform than manufacturing cables with thicker materials.
According to Dow Chemical, a company that specializes in protecting the underground cables with steel, there are 2,000 animal varieties in the world that like to chew these materials.
Nippon Industries in Japan, and Burlington Bio-Medical & Scientific in Farmingdale, New York, are two companies that created chemicals with concentrated spicy extracts that can be used to treat Internet cables.
According to the cable industry in the United States, the primary cause for interruptions in the service are the rodents.
Seeing this, Amar Hydroponics began to develop a resin with the same hydroponic pepper compound that is produced in the country. The idea is to have the same product that Japan uses to market it to cable companies in Mexico, so they can prevent the rats from biting and damaging the fiberoptic networks in the country.
The introduction of the habanero peppers in Japan began in the nineties, and they gradually won over the Asian market. By 2008, the authorities of the state of Yucatan signed an agreement to consolidate the sale of 1,500 tons of habanero peppers from that entity so that it could be exported to Japan and the United States.
The agreement would immediately generate 42 million pesos in profits for the state.
Currently, companies like Amar Hydroponics are engaged in the production of habanero pepper for export to countries that have become major consumers of this product.
The hydroponic cultivation of habanero peppers were an interesting business opportunity for Rodrigo Domenzain because there was a saturation in other products, such as the tomatoes. Additionally, Domenzain saw consumption was increasing in Asia and the United States, so he decided he should take advantage of it.
Hydroponics as an employment option
The idea of founding Amar Hydroponics came about in 1999, as an alternative to create jobs in the less developed communities of Mexico. Currently, the company can produce 1,500 tons of habanero peppers per year, however, the market needs are greater and Mexico can produce 15,000 tons of habanero peppers.
Four years ago, Amar Hydroponics began working on a franchise model, through which they help the investors set up a greenhouse to produce habanero peppers and, once they have their production, the company buys it so they can market it to their customers in the United States, Japan, and China.
Hydroponic farming is a method of growing plants using mineral solutions instead of agricultural land.
To have their own greenhouse, franchisees need an investment of 2.4 million pesos, which includes buying and getting the terrain ready, constructing the greenhouse, and training personnel.
Cancun is the ideal place for hydroponic production because of its weather conditions. Currently, Amar Hydroponics has 25 hectares devoted to the production of habanero peppers and the company's goal is to reach 50 hectares during 2016 so as to produce 3,000 tons of habanero peppers.
The business model allows franchisees to recover their investment during the first 12 to 24 months, where they receive 80% of sales and Amar Hydroponics only retains 20% as profit.
Advantages of hydroponics
The microclimate of the beaches in Mexico is ideal for hydroponics.
The temperature acceptable for the crops goes up to 15 ° C.
Producers can get 3 kilos of habanero peppers from just one seed in eight months.
That's a low cost Investment for high technology.
Source: dineroenimagen.com