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SATELLITE AND AGRI-INDUSTRY

(The article is discussing Global Problems while often using Africa as a Case Study)

PLAN WELL, EXECUTE PRECISELY AND YOU WILL SUCCEED

Satellite is a technological means. Once the satellite is ready, it is loaded onto a missile and within minutes, it is already out of the atmosphere on its way to its exact location in space.

But, why does it takes 3 to 7 years and tens/hundreds of millions of dollars for a new satellite to build and launch?

Because before the satellite construction phase, there is a long, detailed and expensive process of planning and design.

The aerospace industry learned as the entire high-tech industry did, in a hard way, that it is more cost-effective to have a long planning and design phase and a good launch, rather than a short planning and a VERY expensive failed launch, damaging the company/country financials, image, and brand name.

THE SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES

Research shows that the most important part of achieving project success is the stages preceding the execution or implementation.

A shortlist of that part would include the following:

- Setting Targets and Goals.

- Specification.

- Characterization.

- Detailed planning and design.

Once the project gets underway and moves into the implementation stage, there is very little that can be changed and/or improved and IF such change has to be done (if it is still possible) – it is VERY costly in time, effort and money, which makes the end product more expensive and uncompetitive.

Therefore, execution, even if great, can only preserve or detract from the planned quality, but it cannot serve as an alternative to poor planning.

POOR PLANNING

I am reminded of the importance of planning whenever I see cases where planning was neglected.

Unfortunately, in the agri-sector poor planning is common at all levels and in many areas of agriculture.

Here is an example of an email, similar to the many others I receive each week.

It demonstrates such poor planning that eventually costs the grower and the government a lot of money, lost in vain, together with people's and markets' trust.

Do you see the planning and design of obvious and clear failure in this case?
Do you see any economic consideration of the situation?
Do you see the expectation of the results?

Let us see what the Farmer (Advisor) is saying:

* We have a mango farm of four digits (xxxx) acres.

* We have 100% fruit fly damage from mid-season.

Do you see the failure in planning if the result consists of 100% fruit infestation by fruit flies from mid-season?

How much do you think this farmer is investing in fruit fly control (per acre/hectare), versus how much income he has lost due to fruit flies and fruit loss? [answer below]

The Farmer (Advisor) continues, saying that -

* The Government considers a processing factory.

Again, do you see the failure in planning a Processing Factory when there is no assured Raw Materials availability?

POOR PLANNING ACROSS THE BOARD

In the above example, we see a few separate events resulting from the first failure of poor planning; by the Farmer.

The planting of an orchard without the element of an effective program of fruit fly control, later affects the; factory construction plans, regional employment, and regional economic development.

It is like a “domino effect”, the first tile fells and is creating a cascade of unstoppable events.

Note this - according to the farmer (in later communication not attached), his current cost of fruit fly control total to 596.4 USD per acre. It includes a typical package of bait sprays, male annihilation (traps), and sanitation. Results are as described above (100% fruit loss from mid-season). The farmer state that his potential income, if the fruit fly issue is solved, total to 2,800 USD per acre.

Interesting to note that even under the extreme situation in which the farmer is losing thousands of dollars per hectare, he is still focused on the price of the solution, which is one scale smaller than the scale of the current and cumulative damage.

Here is an interesting question, which I have no answer for - How can the farmer manage his business (farm) after such heavy losses and no cure in sight? Send me your thoughts on this.

For a detailed case analysis, including an economic one – press here.

A FARMER IS THE NATION'S MICROCOSMOS

Messages like the one above are common in my mailbox.

Here are two more examples, this time the failure of planning at the National level.

The situation presented below characterizes many countries in Africa and Asia, so the names of the countries have been deleted.

We understand that 50%, 60%, 80%, 100% fruit loss are not 'just numbers'.

For endless number of farmers, it means a terrifying loss of the expected annual income and the continuation of life in poverty.

For the country, it is a continuation of not being able to get money from Export and no resources for investment in development.

Relating to the first example, the early investment in the processing factory will create a useless construction and no employment. Postponing the construction while waiting for raw material will not create new jobs. In both cases, the economy lost!

AN ORCHARD IS FOR TENS OF YEARS

BEFORE you invest all your money in a new plantation or a new plant (factory), make sure that you can get the desired results, in terms of quality and quantity.

A suggestion – always aim for the best quality and the highest quantity. If you aim low, you may find yourself at the very low.

Since these plantations were planted in a period prior to the FreeDome era. It is therefore clear that there was no effective solution to fruit flies at that time.

Therefore, it is possible that planning did not take into account the expected damage from the most important and dangerous pest of this crop and the expected impacts on plant operations and profitability.

Fruit growers collect their crops only once a year. Therefore, misplanning is disastrous for poor growers and means that only next year (maybe) they will earn.

For example, when countries are encouraged to grow mangoes, which 50% of them are infested, they cannot be exported and sometimes even marketed to the local market.

The outcome is, instead of helping the local economy; we now need to finance the project, plus food import for the local market.

CONCLUSION – to change the future of such farmers/countries and their plantations there is an urgent need for the Farmer and the Government to re-plan the project and set it into a new direction, where income is high and the probability of income from export is high as well.

IS IT FATE?

Of course NO!

With proper, up-front, ahead of time planning, you can find out if the climate, soil, logistics, and pests allow and justify investments in a specific crop or another.

With proper planning, you can prepare the necessary elements to achieve success. Then you can predict the economic impact and profitability of the project.

Clearly, it's all about thorough and meticulous planning, and …great execution.

If you want great results, you need great inputs, along with a knowledgeable and experienced team that knows how to make the most of it.

MY RULE OF THUMB

I realized the importance of planning while I was working on some very complex projects.

In Biofeed, we found that planning is so critical that today we invest in most projects 70% to 95% of the time on planning alone.

In some cases, the planning phase may continue over 5 to 10years!

So when you meet me in the field, and you see me doing things fast and easy, know that for every hour in the field, first I worked days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years with my team.

FIXING

Planning refers to future projects and activities. But what about farmers and projects that are already running? What about re-planning or re-design?

Fortunately, unlike in the past, today it is possible to solve, within a short time, the fruit fly problems.

There is no more a need to wait 3, 4, 5 years to see IF the solution works, just to find that it doesn't. Now, thanks to Biofeed FreeDome, a GCFR-based solution, it is possible to see results within 3 to 6 months! Only!

Nearly like magic, it enables to quickly introduce effective fruit fly solutions.
It is true even in (common) cases of a complex of several fruit flies in the same orchard.

Thanks to EXCELLENT PLANNING, for the first time, the future can be turned around and, in fact, Turn Back The Clock for the benefit of millions of fruit growers around the world who suffers regularly from fruit fly attacks.

What is the status of agri-industry planning in your country? On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the situation?

Let me know if you found this valuable :-) I am curious to hear your opinion - email nisraely@biofeed.co.il or text me by WhatsApp +972-542523425.

For a greener world

Free of sprays

Full of joy


See you soon,

Nimrod

Biofeed... Better produce... Better income… Better future...

P.S.

There is no more capacity to deal with Green Valley projects in 2020. *

Thanks to all the applicants for contacting us and your patience when things took longer than we wanted. This is what happens when you have a very limited but professional team.

Additional inquiries received from now on will be reviewed, discussed and considered for the 2021 season.

* Special Opportunity: As a result of dropping a candidate for a Green Valley National Export Project (due to non-compliance with requirements), an opportunity for one pilot is opened. Selection according to project requirements and date of application.

P.P.S.

For information about the Green Valley National Export Project read this article or contact me.

P.P.P.S.

I invite you to FOLLOW me on LinkedIn to see many more posts and the most recent updates.

P.P.P.P.S.

On YouTube, together with hundreds of videos I already released, you can find the historical series The Agricultural Gap.

In short videos, usually 3-4 minutes, I tell the 11,000 years history of agriculture and the reasons for the gap that we see today between different peoples. The series is still in progress with more chapters to come.

Remember to SUBSCRIBE to be notified of the future video release, and of course to share it with a friend who needs to see it.

P.P.P.P.P.S.

You can find this Weekly Agri-Mail and previous ones as part of the online library.

You can access it at any time and everything is free of charge.

 
* Change begins with a decision that the existing reality is a choice and not a decree of fate *

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