Agricola BioFarm

This interview details Agricola BioFarm, an indoor farming company based in Venezuela. The interview is with Diógenes Infante, Ph.D., Director of Agricola BioFarm.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

What is the origin story of Agricola BioFarm?

I am a plant biotechnologist and for several years I worked on plant propagation using Somatic Embryogenesis. I was able to propagate Cassava, Cocoa, Coffee, and Agaves. During my research work, I found asexual genetic variability and I was able to develop a system for genetic improvement of asexually propagated plants.

After I got interesting results in Cocoa and Cassava, I started working in a facility for massive plant propagation, especially cassava, an important and neglected tropical crop.

An important point is that for somatic embryogenesis we also use racks and artificial lights.

During this process, I found information about indoor vertical farms and I quickly realized the advantages of this system, compared with the more traditional procedure I was using.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

Thus, I wrote a project and I found a partner interested in investing in this new technology.

We started with a pilot project inside two containers, one mainly for office and the second for production. 40 m2 (431 ft2) each.

After a successful pilot project for two years, we learned how to handle this technology, working alone here in Venezuela, we decided to increase our capacity and opened a new facility in the basement of a commercial Mall.

During the pilot project not only I learned how to handle the technology, but I also realized the limitations of the commercial racks we were using, therefore I worked in better racks systems using aeroponic as a hydroponic system to feed our plants.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

I used my previous experience improving asexually propagated plants, to improve our process of selecting seedlings before the first transplant, to avoid the differences in size we observed during the initial work, especially in lettuces.

I worked also on a prototype of a multispectral camera visible-infrared, which can measure two variables in our lettuce’s seedling: size and photosynthetic capacity, therefore we can select better performer plants.

This camera has an AI program and in the future, it will be able to command a robot to perform transplantations. Work in progress.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

What are some of the biggest challenges facing Agricola BioFarm in the future?

The big challenge we face is profitability, as any vertical farm in the world.

We decided to create our own commercial channel, selling directly to customers, restaurants, and supermarkets. We found the best clients are restaurants, with better prices and fewer complaints, compared to commercial resellers.

My country is overcoming a big economic crisis; therefore we need to determine our prices carefully and try to keep costs as low as possible. We are optimistic about the future of BioFarm and our country.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

What is unique about Agricola BioFarm compared to competitors?

We are the first vertical farm in Venezuela, and so far the only one. We compete with traditional agriculture, but we have a unique set of products in the Venezuelan market today: vegetables with three Fs, (L in Spanish). Free of pesticides (Libres de pesticidas), Free of microbial contamination (Libres de contaminación microbiológica) and Free of pre-washing (Libres de lavado previo). You can consume our products directly from the package to your dish.

In addition, we keep everything under control, we measure many variables in our production process, including the growth curves of our vegetables, which allowed us to improve our process shortening two weeks in the case of lettuces. We still have more room for improvement.

Lastly, we implemented flow control software to monitor our process.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

What is the current size of your growing area?

In our new facility, we have 172 m2(1,851 ft2) cultivation room area and 430 m (4,628 ft2) total area. We have offices, bathrooms, storage, a small kitchen, a sowing room, a separate room for harvesting and packaging, and a washing room, as well as a room for our water treatment and storage system.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

Do you use CO2 in your operation today -- if so, how much and what do you pay for it? What are your thoughts in CO2 usage in indoor farms?

Yes, we use it and it is by far the most expensive reagent in our process. We pay $100 for a 50-pound tank, which lasts for 3-4 days. Our control system can measure the CO2 level and keep it within range.

Because of the prices, we measure our consumption carefully and keep track of the effect on our plants.CO2 should be between 800 -1200 ppm and improves photosynthesis and plant growth, according to our experience.

We also installed two burners to produce CO2 using natural gas, cheaper than commercial CO2 tanks, but the burners produce ethylene as a byproduct and they induce rotting in our plants, so we stopped their use.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

Energy is a big topic in indoor farming right now. How much do you pay for electricity (kWh)? Is it mainly from the grid or renewables?

Electricity is cheap here because it is produced mainly in the dams in southern Venezuela. We get it from the power grid and we have a backup system to avoid problems in case of power failures, which unfortunately happens frequently.

Source: Agricola BioFarm

How can people connect with you or learn more about Agricola BioFarm?

Well, we have an online store that includes a description of our products and our technology. The pages are in Spanish, but it is possible to get a translation to English from some browsers.

Also, I can be contacted by email: dinfante@agricolabiofarm.com

I will be glad to share our experience.

Source: Agricola BioFar

Asia Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"For a target audience that is trying to understand the basics of vertical farming, this is a quality newsletter to subscribe to"

- James Pateras, CEO, Modular Farms Australia

North America Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download The Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"The North America Vertical Farming Companies Report 2023 aggregates many sources of public information on many different companies so that you don't have to do the research yourself, it's worth the money and saves a lot of time"

- John Ireland, CEO, NTP Technologies

Europe Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Helen Andrew Spare Harvest

"As a business development manager supporting the indoor agriculture, CEA, and food tech industries, I can say Urban Vine guides and their insider newsletter provide detailed information often difficult to find online."

- Irena Lundberg, CleanTech Invest Stockholm

Middle East Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"As a marketing professional in the indoor agriculture industry, Urban Vine's newsletters, reports and guides are an excellent resource for keeping up-to-date with news and developments in vertical farming."

- Steven Mitchell, Product Manager, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) UK

All Indoor Farming Company Interviews

What is Blockchain Agriculture?

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] What is blockchain agriculture? How is blockchain used in agriculture? In this article we discuss everything you need to know about blockchain and its uses in agriculture in the 2020s.

View Full Interview

11 Easy Guidelines To Know Before Buying Grow Lights

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article, you will learn 11 simple guidelines to think about before buying grow lights for indoor growing. Click to learn more!

View Full Interview

29 Surprising Benefits Of Urban Farming

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article, we cover some of the CRAZY benefits of urban farming. You may find some of these benefits surprising. Click to learn more!

View Full Interview

The Top Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights For 2020

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] Interested to learn about full spectrum LED grow lights and where to find them? Click here for easy tips and lessons you can use today!

View Full Interview

Urban Farming: The Ultimate Guide (99 Surprising Facts)

January 23, 2023

[Updated for 2023] Are you interested in learning CRAZY urban farming facts? In this article cover everything urban farming. Click to learn more!

View Full Interview

How Do Hydroponics Work? (A Quick & Simple Guide)

January 23, 2023

[Updated for 2023] Are you interested in learning CRAZY urban farming facts? In this article cover everything urban farming. Click to learn more!

View Full Interview

A Quick Guide To The Best Urban Farming Grants

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] Are you starting an urban farming business and looking for funding? Click here to learn more about grant opportunities!

View Full Interview

What Are the Main Types of Grow Lights? (Beginner's Guide)

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article you will learn the key types of grow lights (LED, Fluorescent, HID) and how they work. Click here to learn more!

View Full Interview

What Is A Growing Medium? (A Quick & Simple Guide)

January 23, 2023

[UPDATED FOR 2023] In this article, you will learn all about the 3 key types of growing media (hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic). Click to learn more!

View Full Interview

Vertical Farming 2021 (The MEGA Report)

January 23, 2023

(UPDATED FOR 2023) What is vertical farming, and how does it work? This step-by-step 25 part guide breaks down everything that you need to know. Click now!

View Full Interview