Canadian crop nutrition company Lucent Bio and plant-based agri-food processor AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (AGT Foods), their subsidiary AGT Soileos Saskatchewan, and Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) have announced a new partnership to create and supply crop nutrition solution, Soileos Zinc, to Western Canadian farmers according to a release. Through this partnership, FCL’s 2023 Innovation Product will be the sustainable micronutrient fertilizer.
“Lucent Bio’s mission is to deliver crop nutrition to growers that increases yield while minimizing impact to the environment,” said Michael Riedijk, Lucent Bio CEO. “We created Soileos Zinc to do just that. Soileos Zinc gives farmers short-term profitability while facilitating long-term stewardship of natural resources, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with FCL to distribute it across Western Canada.”
Soileos micronutrient fertilizer is made with upcycled pea, lentil and oat hulls from AGT Foods. The fertilizer will give crops better nutrient delivery and sustained bioavailability. Farmers will be provided much needed solutions through the partnership with Co-operative Retailing System and FCL together with Lucent Bio, AGT Foods and AGT Soileos. This solution will work to help farmers increase yields, improve crop resilience and soil health. Soileos Zinc’s effectiveness will be further shown through continued field-scale trials.
“Through our network of agronomists and agricultural retail professionals, we work to ensure Western Canadian farmers have the best tools available to overcome the challenges they face throughout the growing season,” said Shawn McGuire, senior manager, key accounts at FCL. “We’re proud to partner with Lucent Bio, AGT Foods and AGT Soileos to bring this made-in-Canada solution to growers across the Prairies.” “FCL is a key partner and the fact that they have recognized Soileos as the 2023 Innovation launch product demonstrates the power and advantage of Soileos, boosting yields while at the same time returning carbon to the soil,” said Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Foods.
