Blueberry Fields Forever! Can SusGlobal Sing A New Tune To Give The Fertilizer Market A Fillip?

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Small, sweet yet tart and firm to the bite, the blueberry is said to be America’s favorite berry of all time.

Considered as a superfood because of its high level of antioxidants, blueberries have become a mainstay of healthy diets, consumed plain or in the form of muffins, smoothies or pancakes.

Although the U.S. is the world's biggest blueberry producer, with farmers in 26 states producing blueberries commercially, the American market is so large that it ends up importing the fruit from other countries. 

About 80 percent of the blueberries consumed in the U.S. come from the southern hemisphere, sourced from countries such as Chile, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico.

Most blueberries are transported via truck across the U.S. and from Mexico, with the rest traveling by boat from South America, Chile and Argentina. 

What Has Ukraine Got To Do With Your Salad?

However, all has not been smooth sailing for the produce industry lately. While the world is still grappling with pandemic-related challenges, farmers now have to face the double whammy of the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Growers of farm produce are already facing many challenges, with increased labor costs, variable crop yields caused by weather and pests, global grower competition and changes in public demand. Organic produce is faced with even greater problems, since it uses fewer chemicals throughout the process of food production and is more susceptible to temperature fluctuations and pest infestations.

Russia’s biggest exports are oil and gas, but the country is also the largest global exporter of fertilizer.

The countermeasures imposed on Russia by the U.S. and European Union are beginning to impact its exports of fertilizer, reportedly causing a severe shortage — and back to blueberries for a moment, which reportedly need plenty of fertilizer, especially at this time of the year.

Norwegian fertilizer company Yara International YARIY, which operates in more than 60 countries and buys a considerable amount of essential raw materials from Russia, says that the additional disruption to supply chains from the war is going to have a big impact on the movement of fertilizer to the consumer. Nutrien Ltd. NTR, a Canadian fertilizer producer, has expressed concern that the invasion could result in “prolonged disruptions to global fertilizer supplies.”

Fertilizer prices have spiked, and with far less Russian fertilizer entering the markets, a bleak period of scarcer and pricier food could result this year.

Can This Company Be Part Of The Solution?

SusGlobal Energy Corp. SNRG says it is looking to meet the increasing demand for fertilizer, using its own organic fertilizer. 

SusGlobal reports that it uses patented technology to divert organic waste from landfills, transforming it into organic compost and pathogen-free organic liquid fertilizer, thus reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the process.

The company says that its proprietary organic liquid fertilizer, SusGro™, is a sustainable and economic alternative to traditional fertilizer, stating that it is nutrient-rich and includes high concentrations of minerals including sulfur, calcium, iron and magnesium, which can positively impact crop growth and soil health. It is also said to help build soil structure by improving water retention, soil tilth and pore space.

SusGlobal’s main facility is located in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. SusGlobal reports that its second facility in Hamilton, Ontario, is on track for completion by Q3 of 2022, and is expected to generate, starting in 2023, an annual revenue run rate of $106 million, based on 12,000 metric tonnes of organic waste processing in the first 12 months of processing.

The company believes that the current disruptions in the fertilizer market could position it for further expansion in North America. 

It recently announced its first project in the U.S. in Fort Myers, Florida, and stated that it intends to use its regional business model in Ontario as a model for growth as it expands into the U.S. to introduce new regenerative organic fertilizer options into the country.

With the increased capacity for commercialization and distribution of proprietary products, SusGlobal believes it can significantly ramp up revenues and cash flow in the $200 billion-per-year fertilizer industry.

To know more about SusGlobal Energy, visit https://susglobalenergy.com/

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.

Photo by Mirko Fabian on Unsplash