California-based GreenFruit Avocados (GFA) is an exporter of avocados from Colombia and Mexico to the U.S. and Canadian markets, with direct sales to the largest retail chains in North America. GFA prides itself on growing the "Perfect Avocado" using organic agricultural practices, including producing organic nutrients. Now, the company announces to start growing peppers in Colombia as well.
GFA grows avocados on over 650 hectares in the mountains of Colombia and hundreds of hectares in Mexico. GFA is now entering the greenhouse bell pepper export market, leveraging its organic production practices and sustainable branding to sell its peppers through its existing relationships with major retail chains in Canada and the U.S. It will have conventional and organic bell peppers for the U.S. and Canadian markets starting June 2024. The project will start with two half-hectare greenhouse modules, with plans to expand to over 60 hectares (6 million sq ft) of greenhouses in the coming years.
Conventional and organic bell peppers for the U.S. and Canadian markets will be available starting June 2024.
US supplier CO2 GRO announced they are also participating in this project. The company says their latest Technology Adaptation Project (TAP) witll be conducted in GFA's first half-hectare (50,000 sq ft) greenhouse module, which will have half the module treated with CO2 GRO's CO2 Enrichment Solutions™ technology and half as control.
The TAP will begin in April 2024 and conclude at the end of the growing season by December 2024. The goals of the TAP include increased pepper fruit production, quality, reduction of powdery mildew with the technology's Pathogen Perimeter Protection™ benefit, and demonstrating CO2 enrichment of pepper plants in a venting greenhouse. This will enable GFA to grow its plants with C-stainable™ practices.
The project will start with two half-hectare greenhouse modules, with plans to expand to over 60 hectares (6 million sq ft) of greenhouses in the coming years.
"We are excited to work with CO2 GRO, whose technology fits perfectly with our organic and sustainable production practices," says GreenFruit Avocado's partner and head of Colombia operations, Tony Bucio. "We will become the first Colombian exporter of bell peppers to Canada. Partnering with a Canadian ag-tech company with its C-stainable crop enhancement service provides our Canadian retail partners and consumers a one-of-a-kind bell pepper to enjoy."
"As we develop our C-stainable crop enhancement service to greenhouse growers worldwide, being a part of these Colombian bell peppers exporting to the U.S. and Canada is an especially proud opportunity for us," said Aaron Archibald, CO2 GRO's VP of sales. "GreenFruit Avocados' focus on sustainable, high-standard organic produce is exactly the type of grower partners we enjoy working with."
For more information:
Soumik Roy
CO2 Gro Inc.
ir@co2gro.ca
https://co2gro.ca/ (English)
https://es.co2gro.ca (Spanish)