This element of the project has one of the most significant in terms of development in this year, especially when you consider the enormity of such increased implementation activity. The vast expanse of neem that now exists on our plantations must be seen to be believed.

Following extensive research conducted by our in-house agronomists, we have more than doubled the amount of neem trees grown per hectare on our plantations as we look to maximize capacity, achieve the highest yields and return the greatest profit.

A new generation of neem saplings developing at the nursery

By revolutionizing agriculture through the adoption of ecologically sound practices throughout our plantations, we continue to uphold and invest in the solutions to the world’s most significant challenges. Taking this a step further, we have dived into the production of an incredible crop with several benefits to mankind – neem. Convinced by our passion to create real value alongside a new era of sustainability, we strive towards a new, environmentally productive and lucrative future for us all.

Harnessing the Tree of the 21st Century

A feature of community life in Asia for centuries, neem is rapidly becoming renowned worldwide for its contributions to sustainable agriculture and organic healthcare. Mainly utilized as a natural pesticide and fertilizer, while being a healthy additive in livestock feed, recent studies have demonstrated the tree’s capacity as an antiviral, antibacterial, antimalarial and anti-carcinogenic. Immune to resistance, entirely biodegradable and cost effective, neem is a valuable solution at a time when mosquito borne viruses such as Zika and Chikungunya are proliferating. With the capacity to service a broad range of markets, from the retail, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries, this incredible (soft) commodity also supports the decisive shift to healthier food and supplies the increasing demand for organic products worldwide.

Neem saplings ready to transport from the nursery to FRG and FPG

After acquiring all our neem seedlings from Universo Agro, Brazil’s leading seed distributor and agricultural services firm, we immediately house them in our nursery for the initial stages of plant development. Each sapling, placed in a grow bag full of soil and applied with the appropriate nutrients vital for growth, is monitored and nurtured by our specialist agronomists for at least six months. Having reached the appropriate age for life on our plantations, we have now begun transporting and planting a new generation of neem saplings.

A new batch of saplings arriving on our plantations

Investing In Our Mutual Future

416 neem trees are now being planted in each hectare, rather than the originally planned 200, with a spacing of 6m x 4m between each tree. In line with the latest research, our agronomy team believe that this is the perfect volume to maximize productivity without compromising the quality of yield nor inhibit a cost effective harvesting program – which in turn will yield the highest possible returns for our clients and ourselves. The initial outlay for planting has obviously increased and this extra outlay is being borne by us, exemplifying our continued belief in this project and the profit potential within. Outlaying a little more today, in order to generate more in the future.

This improvement has become possible through our continued desire to ever evolve and improve our practices, our association with the very best experts in the business and our steadfast commitment to the project. As part of making this reality, we are utilizing our in-house team to expand the amount of neem saplings available in Brazil by vastly increasing the scale of our very own nursery and producing genetically select trees from the top producing neem trees in the country.

We are planning a plantation tour in Q3/Q4 of this year and hope as many of our clients as possible will be able to attend to see these improvements and the expansion of our project first hand (tour details to be announced when finalized).

Once measured, the placement of each tree is marked with a pole as a point of reference

Securing the Very Best Soil for our Trees

Once each hole is dug in preparation for planting, the soil is prepared and applied with our own blend of organic fertilizers. This will ensure the most beneficial environment for our trees, grounded by soil full of the nutrients necessary for maximum development. First calcium carbonate is applied, providing the soil with high levels of calcium and magnesium and reducing the acidity that naturally exists in the topsoil. This favors the microorganisms found in the environment that are beneficial for sustaining life.

Our team of agronomists carefully plan and execute the fertilization process for every tree on our plantations

We then add calcium sulphate derived from purely natural origins (gypsum), which allows for the roots to bind to deeper layers of the soil and removes any excess (and damaging) aluminium in the earth. We also apply a natural organic compound found in chicken manure, which will strengthen the organic material already found in the soil. This is vital for the initial months after the neem tree is planted as it allows for a greater absorption of water during the rainy season. Finally, and most importantly, natural phosphate acquired from sediment found in Africa, Tunisia and Morocco is applied at the time of planting to facilitate growth.

The first neem tree planted of this phase

Saving the World One Tree at a Time

Each individual neem sapling is planted manually, with the upmost care, after the holes have been dug and the organic fertilizers have been applied. Now exposed to the natural elements, we ensure that each tree has the appropriate levels of crop protection as these first months are integral for tree development. The most important element of crop care in this period is the fight and control of leaf cutting ants Atta and Acromyrex; the major pests found in the initial phase of neem growth. After this control, we will see an accelerated rate of growth for our neem trees just in time for the rainy season here in Brazil.

The neem seedlings for our next stage of planting have been ordered and will be sent to our nursery in the coming weeks

While we continue planting on Fazenda Rio Grande and Fazenda Palmeira Grande, the next generation of neem seedlings are making their way to the nursery for initial care and development. This production cycle of sourcing seedlings, preparing the land and planting trees will be vital in the coming months and years as we build the largest neem plantation in the world.

In order to view more pictures of daily life on our plantations, please be sure to visit the Unique Gallery. A new Plantation Development section of the Unique website will also become available next week, hosting regular updates on implementation activity as and when it occurs on the ground.

An aerial shot of clearing on Fazenda Rio Grande

Before delving into the precise techniques our agronomists use for planting neem, which is scheduled to commence on our plantations this week, we have compiled a visual history of all the activity that has taken place on the ground as we prepare for this next stage. With a camera crew, photographer and drone recording each stage of the implementation process this year, we have amassed a collection of photographs and video footage documenting the large-scale operations that have taken place on our plantations. This collection will be available to view on the Unique website over the coming weeks.

Clearing Land to Expand Our Projects

With plans to expand our projects and clear approximately 1,000 hectares of land in this phase, we ensure that all activity on our plantations is executed with the highest level of safety, efficiency and environmental consideration.

Three D6N Caterpillar tractors, a John Deer 700 tractor and a Denic Cimaf DAF 15OD dresser with excavator provide the machinery necessary for fast and efficient land clearing.

We are clearing the land on our plantations with the most ecologically sound and sustainable processes, ensuring that all organic material remains in the soil in order to strengthen tree development when planting. This ensures that all organic material remains in the soil and allows for stronger tree development in preparation for planting.

This machine shreds any cleared shrubbery on our plantations so that the excess can be ploughed back into the soil

In order to maintain the region’s natural biodiversity throughout the clearing process, we have monitored the fauna and wildlife that exists on the land and safely relocated them to a reserve area on our plantations.

The dedicated reserve area for any fauna and wildlife found across our plantations

As one of the leading examples of sustainable agriculture in the region, we have now developed a more productive relationship with the state’s environmental authorities (Semace) and continue to receive the necessary licensing to increase the scale of our projects at a greater pace than ever before. This relationship will be key in enabling us to become one of the world’s foremost producers of neem.

Semace representatives on site at our plantations with Chief Operating Officer Andrew Goodman, General Manager Erika Parente and members of our plantation staff

While the first half of Fazenda Palmeira Grande was cleared and approved for planting over the last few months, we have now received the license to begin the process for the second half. This section of the plantation will be cleared and ready for planting from April 2016.

The sun sets on a good day of clearing on Fazenda Palmeira Grande

Ensuring Irrigation Infrastructure is Sustained Across All Sectors

We are glad to announce that the construction of our pump house is now complete, forming the foundation of the comprehensive irrigation infrastructure that exists throughout each sector of our plantations.

Our newly developed pump house, which will serve as one of the hubs for operations related to irrigation and fertilization

Currently, 234 hectares of Fazenda Lagoa Grande are fully irrigated and specialist technicians housed in this new development will control the level of water and fertilizers distributed throughout these sectors.

The reach of our new pump house is being facilitated by the three-fold increase of the energy capacity on our plantations from 45 kwa to 142.5 kwa. This will allow our pump house to have a greater reach and ensure more efficient water and fertilizer distribution cycles.

By acquiring new generators and installing additional electrical networks across the plantations, we will triple our energy capacity

Preparing the Land for Planting

Now that the land on FRG is cleared and that we have received the appropriate licensing to begin planting, the next step is to prepare the soil. With the planting of 100,000 neem trees in this phase scheduled to begin this week, the soil in the sector has been cultivated and ploughed to break up clods, remove weeds and transform any woody material into organic compounds. This facilitates the development of the saplings in their vital first few months in the soil.

By harrowing the land we ensure that the organic material in the soil surfaces, strengthening root development once the saplings are planted.

As the soil on FRG has already been cultivated, we have now begun digging holes in preparation for planting the neem saplings. Once these have been dug we will introduce organic fertilizer to ensure that all the necessary nutrients for plant growth remain in the soil.

A closer look at our harrowing equipment.

With planting scheduled for this week our next update will focus on neem’s journey from our nursery, where each sapling has been carefully nurtured in their early days of development, to our plantations. The next stage of project implementation is now underway and we look forward to showing you a new generation of neem trees in the ground.

As we look to the future, we, along with all agricultural management companies, must prepare ourselves for an uncertain global climate. With fluctuating rainfall, severe droughts and an increasing unpredictability in water supplies, greater pressure will be placed on the world’s agricultural supply chain. To counter these changes and to meet ever more stringent licensing requirements, we have strengthened the infrastructure on our plantations beyond what was originally expected, through the development and expansion of our fertigation infrastructure and energy network.

Doubling the Capacity of Our Energy Network 

With more land and variable climatic conditions comes a greater demand for energy. As energy use for growing and harvesting crops is a large component of farm operating costs, energy distribution infrastructure needs to be reliable and efficient at all times. We are therefore expanding our energy network to ensure that higher energy capacity is available across each sector of our plantations. By acquiring new generators and installing additional networks across the plantations, we will double our energy capacity, which will better prepare us for the uncertain climate ahead. This added capacity ensures that a sufficient level of energy is utilized across all sectors of our plantations, broadening the reach of our newly constructed pump house for crop care and protection.

Extending the Scope of our Irrigation and Fertigation Systems  

Hydration and fertilization are two of the primary considerations for crop care in plantation management, even when conditions are perfect. Crop yields are affected by any fluctuations of temperature, wind and rainfall, as well as shifts in climate. As discussed in our recent forecast newsletter for 2016, this year will see one of the strongest El Niño events since 1950. This is expected to cause major disruptions, widespread droughts in some areas and severe flooding in others, across the continents. The El Niño of 1997 cost $100 billion in damages, a substantial amount of which was lost due to lower agricultural output. The upside is that these changes do have forecasters expecting a surge in global food prices, the downside is that they have also caused the need for us to further strengthen our water reserves and fertigation systems.

We continue to dig wells across our plantation that allow for the distribution of 12,000 liters of water per hour each

In order to ensure the precise, effective and efficient distribution of water and fertilizers across our plantations, enabled by the expansion of our energy network, we have acquired an additional two new Netafim fertigation kits for FLG. As specialists in irrigation technology, Netafim offers an expertise in agricultural crop care that we utilize to this day. These “Fertikits” will be housed in the central sector of the plantation and boost our already expansive irrigation network. Similarly to their predecessors, these Fertikits allow for the release of specific amounts and concentrations of water and fertilizer for our crops. This is the most accurate and reliable system for irrigation on the market, largely due to the fact that it is customizable and can work independently of field conditions.

Finalizing A New Control Center for Our Fertigation System

The specialists who are responsible for operating the state-of-the-art fertigation system will base their activities in a technical office and storage house being constructed at the heart of our plantations. For the time being, this office is being built adjoining our new pump house, with further plans in the pipeline for a specific technical and analysis office in the next phase of the project.

Construction on our new technical office is nearing completion

The development will serve as the hub for all operations related to irrigation and fertilization. This will also serve as a storage facility for our fertilizer supply modules and pump systems. This consists of six large tanks where the fertilizer is stored as well as an irrigation network that is controlled via Netafim terminals.

This phase of construction will be finished in early February allowing Electrovale, experts in Brazilian irrigation, to install all the pumps and tanks necessary for the expansion. Our new and upgraded system will be fully operational by March.

With the necessary infrastructure in place we are well on our way to beginning the next phase of planting neem on our plantations. As one of the most exciting stages of implementation, we will soon be providing you with a detailed update of the process involved in transporting and planting the first 50,000 saplings that are currently maturing in our nursery.

• The authorization and licensing for clearing land on Fazenda Rio Grande (FRG), which was acquired in December 2015 due to the responsible and sustainable operations on our plantations.
• Demonstrating the sheer scale and process of clearing the land on FRG, as well as the infrastructure and machinery required for such an undertaking.
• An extension of the energy network across our plantations, which will nearly double the energy output throughout each sector.
• The construction of a 200m² office for our technicians to operate our newly implemented fertigation system, which has the capacity to adjust the frequency, amount and concentration of organic fertilizer used across our plantations.
• The clearance of another 800 hectares of land in anticipation of planting season
• The process involved in sourcing new land for the expansion of our projects.

Land on FRG is Being Cleared and Readied for Planting 

Clearing land and preparing the soil for planting are fundamental procedures in securing high yields in modern agriculture, a process that is often delayed by the infamous bureaucracy here in Brazil. Nevertheless, due to the comprehensive and environmentally friendly strategies adopted throughout our plantations, we successfully acquired the appropriate authorization to clear and implement the next stage of our project, within Fazenda Rio Grande (FRG).

The road entering Fazenda Rio Grande