Affinor Growers has provided an update and summary of the company's future plans.
Affinor's goal is to continue to focus on becoming the leading technology developer and supplier of vertical farming equipment in order to help solve problematic crops, improve food security and increase agriculture production for high value crops. With the help of strategic partners and our technical team, Affinor's immediate plans include continuing the development and commercialization of their patented technology and equipment, validation through third party partners, prove revenue models, and crop diversification.
Over the last year, Affinor has focused on strawberry development as fresh strawberries account for 80% of the total strawberry production in North America valued at $2.6 billion annually. Affinor will continue to grow and harvest strawberries with our beta prototype technology installed at the University of the Fraser Valley throughout the fall and winter of 2017. The focus will be on standardizing crop models and determining best practices for commercialization. Affinor expects to be commissioning a commercial farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia with 24 vertical farming towers in 2017 capable of growing over 15,000 plants in 6,000 square feet. As well, in order to diversity Affinor's technology with other high value crops, we will be installing equipment to grow cannabis at a federally licensed facility in Kelowna, British Columbia in the fall 2016.
Affinor's goal over the next year is to shift from a development to an operational company focusing on generating revenue from vertical tower sales. Their revenue models will include selling systems to growers resulting in a margin on the equipment, license fees, and collecting royalties on the revenues from production; as well as potentially using the equipment ourselves to grow and sell crops thereby becoming a farming company.