The most basic of agricultural technologies, liming, is not well understood here in Costa Rica and are grossly necessary. Current yields in the majority of crops are less than half than most competitors worldwide. Many yields in Costa Rica have been doubled and tripled by the simple application of large quantities of lime!
The DEMAND for organic foods is growing at un unbelievable pace every year. As this trend continues, the boundries of trade have well begun to expand. Organic coffee, bananas, pineapples, etc. are now becoming available. Only recently, organic citrus has become available here in Costa Rica. One of the largest Organic fruit growers, in the World, Pavich Family Farms is supposed to be coming down to contracts with us and our growers to produce for them, a line of Organic tropical fruits.
Cascadian Farm is now in discussion with the U.S. Organic Fruit Co. to contract for the Organic orange juice concentrate that is now being managed by our companies.
Farm credit for small organic growers is non-existant in Costa Rica. Credit exists under exremely high intersest rates of 22% and above, but only for chemical farmers. Mention organics and the small farmer has no chance of credit.
The next inequity in the system is that the current technologies available to a would be organic grower are toxic and do not work. This is a recent compost analysis from a local Christian non-profit, working in Costa Rica. This gentlemans compost is supposed to be one of the best of the area. The numbers are in POUNDS PER TON and come from a reputable US lab.
Sorry about this table but I haven't figured out how to make tables yet with this editor.
The analysis does not look to bad until you get to the iron and aluminum. They could probably mine this stuff for iron and aluminum! Rodale literature does not mention what to do with compost like this, but I think under the EPA it would qualify as hazardous waste!
You must be asking yourself by now, Mike, How is this an opportunity? This place is TOXIC. Yup, your right, the place is toxic, but that is the opportunity. No, not to mine metals! Contracting farms to produce and eventually buying up lands to produce healthy organic crops!
In many crops such as citrus, the trees produce less than half the fruit and solids compared to Florida. However, in recent calcium trials that applied only 3 tons of calcium to the hectare ($0.50 per tree), the yields went up 175%, yielding an extra $9.00 return per tree! Now, for those financial types, what other investment can you make that returns that kind of yield? Not many!
There exists in Costa Rica many farms that have literally been abandoned due to non-production or lack of production. Mango, citrus, macadamia, melons, rice, sugar cane and many others are crops where yields are drastically less than those of the competition worldwide. The locals (Ticos) have been brainwashed by the agricultural establishment to believe that its' just the way it is. One Florida citrus specialist that works for one of the largest citrus processors, literally told the owners that there just isn't enough sun in Costa Rica, and that is the reason that the trees have greatly reduced foliage. What a crock of #@*%! During my brief stint with a Fortune 200 as Director of Overseas Operations, I had to fire several growers that just couldn't get it regarding metal toxicities. You could show them leaf analysis after leaf analysis, with over 100 PPM of aluminum in the leaves and it just wouldn't sink in.
There exists in Costa Rica many farms that the farmers have just given up, they don't produce. If you have the gumption and are a farmer, I am looking for more producers and partners. Our business is to grow organically and market healthy organic produce to the masses, world wide.
Over the last 8 years, our company has more than doubled its' sales every year, with 1995 sales exceeding US$650 K. Provided the same continous growth, our objective is to go public in 1998. The market for a public corporation dedicated to producing organics in the Tropics, with a processing division in dried fruits, should be wide open. Investors are looking for green alternatives. The response to similar health food market companies such as Whole Foods Market have been excellent. See their financial section and then get a quote on their stock "WFMI" in their stock quote section. Note the P/E (Price to earnings ratio), they are trading at a ratio of 36 as of Oct.9, 1996, then put in "CQB" (Chiquita Brands) and then "DOL" (Dole Foods), trading at 383 and 163! Mike, what does all this mean? Well.....
If these companies make $1,000, the value of the company according to the stock market in these instances would be WFMI @ P/E of 36, times $1,000 profit, would value the company at $36,000. Chiquita $383,000 and Dole would be valued at $163,000, for having only earned $1,000!!!!
Now for those of you that follow the stock market, those P/E ratios of Chiquita and Dole are way overvalued at the present time., but that is not the point here. The point is that the stock market, because of the way the stock market values companies, will reward the shareholders by factors of 10 to 30, provided that the shareholders are owners before the company goes public.
We are offering to highly qualified investors and individuals, the chance to participate with us in the anticipation of going public in the future. If you feel that you might be interested, drop us some e-mail and we'll send you a Confidential Private Offering Memorandum of our US corporation (Deleware Corp), the U.S. Organic Fruit Co., founded in 1989.
We are also looking for low interest, 1st mortage funds for our growers as well as folks willing to take on long term asset ownership to be leased to organic processing industries such as organic coffee processors, essence manufacturing and puree processors. Over $250,000 invested to date!