Israeli agritech start-up Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture, the developer of an innovative artificial pollination solution, will target the lucrative Californian almond market after announcing the successful completion of local field trials.
Founded in 2016, the Basmat Tivon-based company is behind a unique pollen harvesting and mechanical pollination system, which promises high-quality viable pollen and aims to solve severe agricultural challenges posed by the recent decline in insects and honeybees.
Field trials in Israeli almond orchards were completed successfully, Edete said on Tuesday, substantially increasing crop yields. The company, which has also recently tested its technology in Australian orchards, now aims to commence a pilot program in 2022 in California – the world's largest almond-producing region.
“We are initially focusing our efforts on almonds, but our game-changing technology has huge potential for a wide range of other crops as well," said Edete CEO and co-founder Eylam Ran, citing the cultivation of crops including apples, cherries, pears, cotton, rapeseed and sunflowers.
"We will be targeting top tier producers in California, where 7% out of 7,400 growers account for more than half of the cultivated area," Ran said, adding that the Australian market bears similar characteristics.
Approximately 80% of the $7 billion worldwide almond market is located in the United States, and predominantly in California, where almond growers spend over $400m. on beehive pollination services per year.
