Kannar Culture. Small Company, Big Impact

kannar culture provides impact How does a small company continually attract the attention of and make an impact with some of the world’s biggest brands, especially in a niche industry like crop inputs and seed treatment? Is it luck, who you know, or something else…?

At Kannar Earth Science, Ltd., we have a small team. Yet, in any given week, we are firing up excitement with some of the biggest global contributors to agriculture. How does a small agriculture company like Kannar attract such notice and partnerships? We attribute it not to luck but to “Kannar Magic.”

Kannar Magic = Culture + Experts

The Kannar culture includes curiosity and the relentless drive to find real solutions to real problems. But it’s more than curiosity and perseverance. For the Kannar team, it also takes the humility required to never assume that one knows it all. We are brave enough to ask those uncomfortable but necessary “but what if we also…” questions.

“It really does feel like magic! Not only to us but, to our surprise, also to those we align with,” says Heather Lewis, Seed Lab Manager at Kannar.

She continues, “In fact, all our subject matter experts experience the same phenomenon. We believe it is due, in part, to the special confluence of our culture and our areas of expertise which include chemistry, microbiology, agronomy, plant science, seed treatment, storage, production, and packaging of crop inputs.”

But this is just the foundation in which Kannar’s commitment leads to a growing confidence with their alliances. Kannar takes pride in discovering and optimizing new technologies for global commercialization. “Our partners rely on Kannar to accept a highly customized variety of responsibilities. We’re proud that more than one global alliance has described Kannar as the single most reliable source of market-ready innovations,” explains Sam Cloete, CEO of Kannar.

Substance is Behind Kannar’s Innovations

Sam explains, “Modern agriculture is known to achieve record yields, but often at the expense of something that indeed is unsustainable. Our innovations not only maximize yields but specifically also promote sustainable environmental stewardship. Sustainability is the cornerstone of our innovations and decisions. Our passion is to unlock real solutions to real problems as we innovate for nature, you know, naturally!”

Sam concludes, “Naturally does not come easy. Yet, thanks to Kannar Magic, in particular, the impossible seems to happen more and more often.”

Kannar exists to promote ideal agriculture through designing and manufacturing innovative seed coatings, synergistic fertilizer technology, and related crop inputs. We continually strive to find economical and practical ways to bring successful technology to growers.

Modified from July 2022 SeedWorld Magazine article

Collaborate for Strong Yields & Sustainability

Collaborate for better agriculture

At Kannar Earth Science, Ltd. we wholeheartedly believe farmers can choose both stronger yields and sustainability. In fact, promoting on-farm productivity alongside environmental sustainability is why we created Kannar’s 4F Crop Security Program – where we collaborate to bring better crop inputs to the growers who produce the globe’s Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuel.

It’s truly incredible how modernized, large-acre agriculture successfully promotes harvesting crop yields close to the seed’s genetic yield potential. We appreciate the contribution of specialized equipment, target-specific pesticides, fertilizers, and other crop inputs. Oftentimes, however, impressive yields are achieved at the expense of the very environment the crops are cultivated in. We are aiming to change that!

Persistence Pays Off

Our journey to better agriculture gained momentum when we saw the results of our first bionematicide in action. Then, through perseverance, we were able to demonstrate the remarkable efficacy and consistency of a truly sustainable alternative to harsh and highly toxic chemistry. With that initial on-farm success, our belief was bolstered that stronger yields and sustainability could and should align. Because agricultural breakthroughs like this are so rare, we were determined to bring even more innovations like this to growers.

Armed with drive and dedication, we went searching for additional bio-beneficial options. We were fortunate to innovate several new technologies in-house. We’re excited to have now developed several patent pending technologies to replace or work alongside traditional chemistries.

We have several natural biopesticides that are as efficacious as conventional chemistry, especially where chemical resistance is a concern. We developed seed safener technology that reduces the phytotoxic damage of various conventional pesticides and protects the seed from abiotic stresses.

Technological game-changers are just the start

These new products and discoveries are exciting but only the beginning of the positive impact to be made on the agriculture industry. Our 4F Crop Security Program is an umbrella program where multiple innovators from various companies collaborate with Kannar in the early stages of a product’s development.

With our 4F Crop Security Program, we invite other innovators to partner with us to develop and commercialize highly effective and environmentally sound technologies. Innovators will be glad to know that several multinationals have requested Kannar to aid in bringing needed improvements on early-stage technologies from less experienced, yet visionary, companies.

We know that we cannot invent everything. It is in this spirit of humility that we invite collaborators to further develop and optimize innovations with Kannar. Together, we work towards and position improvements for global commercialization. The 4F Crop Security Program is designed to continually bring incremental positive changes to agriculture. Though each change may seem small, when applied over millions of acres globally it significantly improves our soil and environment.

Promoting environmental stewardship while working towards crops’ genetic yield potential won’t happen overnight. However, thanks to partnerships like the 4F Crop Security Program, a more sustainable future is entirely achievable.

Modified from June 2022 SeedWorld Magazine article

Agricultural Silos: Innovation & Production

Sam Cloete, Kannar Earth Science CEO

When Kannar Earth Science, Ltd. was a flicker of an idea in my head, I noticed a big problem with agricultural innovation, especially in the chemical and seed treatment arenas. Innovation and production functioned in completely different silos. The companies that innovated didn’t really understand the complexities, challenges, or opportunities of large-scale production. The companies that commercialized were limited by ‘doing rather than dreaming.’

That disconnect between big ideas of innovation and realities of production meant the kind of big and necessary ideas that push agriculture forward were stifled and stalled, or maybe never even dreamed up at all.

I decided to start Kannar because I knew there could be a better way.

Bridging between agricultural silos

The single most common question people ask us at Kannar is: why would an innovation company also have hard assets and do production, too? It’s a reasonable question. After all, companies typically choose to innovate, to produce, or to distribute and commercialize, but never all. Our answer? For an innovation to get off the ground, Kannar must believe in, invest in, and walk it forward from start to success. We know that carrying an innovation from the idea stage to the producers’ doors gives us the whole-system perspective necessary to achieve and deliver industry game-changers.

Selecting silos carefully

Here is the critical thing: because we are responsible for and understand the challenges of every stage from innovation to commercialization, we are incredibly careful about what we choose to pursue. We say ‘no’ far more often than we say ‘yes.’ No when the timing isn’t right; no to almost-but-not-quite-right products; no to companies that ask to partner but aren’t ready or able to add value. When our ‘yes’ comes, it follows saying ‘not yet’ or ‘not good enough’ to dozens of other not right opportunities.

Also, consider most toll manufacturers. Conventional toll manufacturers are happy to produce trainload quantities of product that they can forecast months or a year in advance. However, that requires the product to be at full commercial adoption. Who blends a product in its early stages of development, when it’s just 10 gallons for a sample or 100 gallons for an initial launch? In today’s world, essentially no one. That’s why our full-service, state-of-the-art lab is so critical to the early stages of product development. We can create those tiny volume blends, but we’re also prepared, under the same roof, to scale up production to meet each subsequent step of the development and commercialization process. Though all the initial leg work might seem like we spend a lot of time on the runway, there’s nothing as exciting as helping innovations launch, then watching them fly high!

I’m proud of what we have accomplished at Kannar. I’m more excited about what we will accomplish in the future. We’ve asked a lot of questions. We’ve listened to agriculture stakeholders. We’ve been willing to make mistakes to grow. And now, we’re ready to show that agricultural silos don’t have to exist!

Modified from April 2022 SeedWorld Magazine article

Our Strength is in Our People

Heather Lewis, our Seed Lab Manager, recently spoke with Seed World magazine about why she joined Kannar and the exciting innovations on the horizon. These innovations came to fruition because of our “what if?” attitude. Enjoy this look “inside” our company. Want to partner with us? We are always seeking individuals and organizations seeking to make a positive impact on our world. Contact us to start the conversation!

Heather’s Story

Four years ago, I relocated to follow my dreams of making a difference as a chemist in agriculture. But what was I thinking?

Instead of joining a big company with expansive financial benefits, I accepted the challenge from a small company called Kannar Earth Science, Ltd. to undertake the creative and seemingly impossible in rudimentary, start-up working conditions. Upon joining, I found myself not in a fancy lab with all the bells & whistles and fancy snacks, but in a warehouse surrounded by bare walls on concrete floors. Indeed, the calling was to see beyond the challenges of a self-funded start-up. Instead, I was challenged to see and believe in the global adoption of solutions that make a real difference in agriculture and our environment.

Heather Lewis asks what if — Heather Lewis
Kannar Seed Lab Manager

Those early days, and even still today, were about following the heart first. At Kannar, our hearts accompany clear thinking and bold beliefs. In our minds, we know that sustainability in agriculture is a noble goal that can be overwhelming given the demand for food, feed, and fiber. In our hearts, we believe in making impactful changes one positive innovation at a time. Combining our heartfelt belief with determination and perseverance, our technologies not only replace toxic crop inputs but also further enhance even wholesome solutions.

Since my early days at Kannar, my dreams have expanded and I’m grateful that many of my career and life ambitions are in fact being fulfilled. As Seed Lab Manager, I develop and enhance agricultural technologies. This includes improving upon technologies already available as well as developing alternative solutions. The goal is to make small, incremental improvements for efficacy and environmental stewardship.

What if?

To help achieve this, our team’s most common question is: ‘What if?’. What if we formulated this product as a liquid? What if we made it a powder? What if we mixed it this way or coated it that way? What if we applied it at a different time or alongside another technology it’s not typically paired with? What if we simplify our idea to make it easier for growers to incorporate? Maintaining an open mind and constantly striving for improvement keeps me and my team engaged, passionate, and pushing forward.

For us, one area always in need of attention is crop establishment. The more uniform and stronger a crop’s emergence, the more chance each seed has of realizing its genetic yield potential. We’re proud to have achieved significant steps forward with cutting-edge agricultural inputs that minimize negative environmental impact. We are excitedly anticipating the introduction of additional technologies in the very near future. Imagine the possibilities!

Oh, and one last observation. We do, in fact, now have amazing snacks and a beautiful compilation of laboratories. Come and visit!

Heather Lewis is the Seed Lab Manager at Kannar Earth Science, Ltd. In addition to her role as a Scientist, she leads the Health and Safety Committee as well as the Team Building Committee at Kannar. She hopes to make a lasting positive impact.

Modified from February 2022 SeedWorld article

2022 promises to be a very exciting year for Kannar. Various patents are in the process of being finalized. Then we will officially announce a handful of new, truly ground-breaking, innovations and technologies that will dramatically improve seed treatment and agricultural crop production, naturally.

innovations for the Earth

This is just the start of our company’s journey with a focus on intellectual property protection by way of patents. Our strategic business plan supports the development of multiple patents around a theme of innovation. It’s exciting to be part of a team that dreams big and global! We only undertake patent efforts once we are assured of a significant positive contribution to crop production. We expect to continue to license these technologies to partnerships that are dedicated to delivering the value of these inventions.

How is Kannar able to successfully bring to the market so many innovations?

I truly believe it is because Kannar has an entirely different way of operating. Many innovation companies define each scientists’ role and confine their efforts within the ‘box’ of that role. Despite company size, that confinement can be suffocating and stifle innovation. At Kannar, however, our team operates on an open platform: we’re free to innovate and brainstorm – this often leads to discovery of even better solutions. As a scientist, I deeply appreciate that Kannar offers me an opportunity to free my mind, allowing me room to pursue fulfillment and true innovation.

– Ahsan Habib, Ph.D., Agricultural Input Specialist & Lab Team Lead

Kannar has a passion for finding real solutions to real problems

Our solutions are developed through curiosity, tenacity, and humility. Although the company started with – and still focuses on – the manufacturing and toll blending of seed treatments as well as lab services, we acknowledge and embrace the fact that we’re very good at innovating, patenting those innovations, and licensing new technologies to strategic alliances who in turn are committed to communicating and delivering the invention value. Our innovations focus mostly on promoting crop establishment and yield, by way of seed treatment technologies that incorporate beneficial microbes, synergists, and microplastic-free solutions. Partners can expect a lot more of that to come as we further embrace our increasing core competencies in innovation, patenting, and licensing.

While Kannar’s offerings continue to grow, our core values remain firm. We are guided by integrity in all we do. From the boardroom to the sale, integrity is our compass. We are committed to caring for everyone:

for ourselves
our fellow co-workers
our families
this generation
generations to come

Finally, we’re dedicated to and entrusted with the responsibility of sustainability. By providing real solutions to real problems with a focus on environmental stewardship, we make sure all parties along the value chain can sleep well at night, knowing that enduring value is created to last well into the future.

We would love to talk with you about what makes Kannar different and how YOU can be a part of the future!

Modified from publication in Seed World January 2022

Kannar’s ‘Magic’ Develops Greener, Safer Bionematicide

We’ve all seen the stunted, yellowish, sickly stems and leaves or the galled and decaying roots of crops infested with the soil pests nematodes.

soil pest causes crop leaf to turn brown — Nematode soil pest causes leaf damage

soil pest turns crop roots yellow — Nematode soil pest causes root damage

In North America alone, farmers spend nearly half a billion dollars tackling these tiny but voracious soil pests.

Conventional control methods can be harsh and toxic, but thanks to the unflagging determination of a special team of can-do people, there’s a brand new, ultra-effective, and environmentally friendly discovery! This discovery can be relied on to help minimize nematode damage to most crops. The broad-spectrum bionematicide, now licensed to a multinational for sale to the US market, is a big deal. This low-rate, ‘green’ solution often outperforms conventional options and is effective and complimentary alongside tank-mixed chemistries and other crop inputs, too. The story of how this option came about offers us confidence that almost any challenge can be overcome with critical thinking, perseverance, and the best minds working together.

A unique soil pests treatment story

About a decade ago, newly retired business owner, Tom Johnson, agreed to guide Kannar as we more closely examined some intriguing, but previously unproven, gram positive microbial spores for possible applications in agriculture. We wondered if the spores might have potential application as biopesticides, but we truly had no idea what we were going to discover. With persistent curiosity, we evaluated, tested, and retested our findings. We even analyzed the genomes to understand what the microbes can do and how they do it. Understanding the reason for efficacy and the modes of actions inspired us all. We discovered that the bacteria have nematicidal activity and are fast multipliers. They produce enzymes that break down chitin, the main component of a nematode’s eggshell, juvenile exoskeleton, or adult nematode’s pharynx.

As trials progressed, we realised we had something that not only could control eggs, larva, and adults, it actually destroys them. Even better, it didn’t overload the soil with high application rates or harsh chemicals: it’s an all-natural solution applied at a tiny fraction of the rate (3 fluid ounces can be applied to two units of cotton seed and be planted over as many as 14 acres, compared to conventional chemicals at 16 dry ounces per acre).

And we kept digging deeper, studying how the biopesticide might work in real-world, in-field applications alongside existing chemistries. We tested shelf life, on-seed spore survivability, and crop-specific efficacy.

“I won’t say the effort was easy. We ran into roadblocks right and left. For example, even finding a lab that was able to maintain a stable library of nematode test subjects proved difficult at the time we needed it. What I will say is that the effort was absolutely worthwhile.” – Sam Cloete, Kannar President

What this means for North American farmers

The biopesticide passed all tests with flying colors. Within the next couple of years, North American farmers will have access to an ultra-effective bionematicide that the EPA classifies at its least toxic category rating. This is huge news for an industry striving towards sustainability and, we hope, just the start. We plan to grow our partnerships to bring this product to market in other key agricultural areas, especially Brazil.

Successfully moving a brand-new concept through to global commercialization is no small feat. To make it happen, we depended on what we call Kannar’s ‘magic’. This curiosity and make-it-happen tenacity allow us to overcome obstacles in finding real solutions to real problems; as we innovate for nature, naturally!

Modified from Seed World article, Nov 2021

Kannar Earth Science exists to promote ideal agriculture. We do this through designing and manufacturing innovative seed coatings, synergistic fertilizer technology, and related crop inputs. We also offer blending and distribution services from our 60,000 sf facility. Learn more about our toll manufacturing here.

Once upon a very recent time, there was a company that invested many millions into developing a new seed treatment. They were (and are) rightfully excited about their product, as it is a major step forward in innovation and efficacy. Yet they’ve had challenges bridging the gap between developing the product and getting it to market.

It’s a story we hear all the time. There are often very big gaps between the developers who create new seed applied technologies, the manufacturers that commercialize those products, and the seed companies that actually use the treatments.

Identifying & Bridging the Gap

There are all kinds of reasons for bumps in the road to market. In some cases, companies develop a product that works incredibly successfully in a lab, but there’s an application, residue, or another challenge they can’t overcome to make the leap to real-world, field-scale application. In other cases, it’s about relationships. A developer might have an ideal product, but they aren’t able to connect to a manufacturer with the right equipment, know-how, or capacity. In still other cases, it’s about chemistry. A product might be fantastic on its own, but it has negative interactions with other products that need to be seed applied.

This is Our Why

We are huge believers in teamwork in business and in life. Kannar was created in 2007 with the idea of bridging the gaps in getting products to market. We got excited about making positive changes to agriculture by being the missing link in the innovation and production chain. Fourteen years later, we’re the go-to ‘conduit’ to the marketplace. We translate great new crop establishment technologies and seed treatments into commercially applicable forms. Our expertise is in knowing everything related to successfully treating seed – from application equipment to all seed-applied technologies, from hard chemistries to life sciences, and nutrients.

picture of kannar team bridging gap on zoom — Kannar employees are bridging the gap for all crop establishment stakeholders.

A big part of what we offer is our reputation. By the time we bring a product to a manufacturer, we’ve done the legwork to know not only that it works, but also how it works, why it works and how to manage it for commercial scale. It also helps that we know the capabilities, limitations, and needs of various seed production and treatment plants. This includes their available equipment, their storage capacity, and even their appetite and enthusiasm for innovation.

Kannar is grateful for the collaborators and alliances who entrust their technologies to our expertise. It is for the grower and for them that we wish to always make it happen. Click here to submit a request to speak with a member of our team about your crop establishment and market needs.

Modified from Seedworld August 2021 article.

Cotton Seed Treatment Controls Thrips

Controlling thrips is one of the most significant, early-season issues facing cotton farmers. The pest has developed resistance to several seed-applied insecticides, but not to acephate. Applying acephate as a cotton seed treatment for thrips control would be an ideal solution, except that it is difficult to apply or even handle seed treated with acephate. Acephate just does not lend itself to being blended into seed treatment, nor does it adhere evenly to seeds. Growers do not reliably know what rate of efficacy they are getting across their fields, so they frequently make a foliar application to limit future injury after thrips have already done seedling damage.

Addressing the Issue

A few years ago, Americot, Inc., an independent cotton seed company, wanted to develop a reliable cotton seed treatment incorporating both acephate and high-performance STartUP IMIDA, imidacloprid from UPL, Ltd. to provide early-season seedling protection against thrips

“We were told by several ‘experts’ that it could not be done, that acephate could not be successfully applied as a seed treatment,” Americot General Manager Chiree Fields recalls. “That is when we approached Sam Cloete and his team with Kannar Earth Science. We wanted a collaborator to develop a new formulation to enhance our existing CottolyST^TM seed treatments. We needed something innovative and different from the rest of the industry that could control seedling thrips and position Americot as an industry leader.”

Together the three companies were inspired to find a solution. The thinking that prevailed was, “how can we help growers?” The ideal solution would be a seed treatment that combines acephate for immediate protection with imidacloprid that provides lasting control over thrips. These insecticides needed to be further combined with a comprehensive fungicide package that includes STartUP Rancona, AZOXY and METXL.

Not an Overnight Solution

Kannar’s seed lab manager Heather Lewis, worked with Americot to determine what enhancers are needed to promote seed safety, stability while in storage and how to apply the technology. Working together, Americot, Kannar and seed treatment manufacturer UPL perfected the offering to growers.

“I would offer that we did not get it right the first time before we brought it together for high-scale production,” Heather says. “Kannar had been working behind the scenes since 2010, even before we knew what the demand would be, and that contributed to a successful and comprehensive seed treatment offering. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a scenario like this. Combinations are prone to kick out with some kind of apple sauce or cottage cheese-like reaction. That means you go through a lot of options to discover and verify success. There were about 40 trial entries in our first round of potential ingredients. Kannar’s K5™ growth enhancer and SlipShine™ 6200 Flowability Enhancer technologies came in handy. Our final solution to growers is a seed treatment that provides thrips protection from the moment the seed is planted. For our customers, the result is more uniform growth and seedling emergence, along with essential control of disease and pests.” (Our new K7 is available by contacting Kannar or online as well.)

Traditionally, most of the seed Americot has been selling into West Texas included only their base seed treatment. But now growers are seeing new challenges in their fields. Americot can address those challenges with CottolyST Enhanced. Americot promotes their higher-level seed treatment because growers see it is as a valuable enhancement for early crop establishment. Farmers know both the challenges and potential benefits of acephate seed treatment. So, when an Americot sales representative educates growers that CottolyST Enhanced can successfully keep acephate on the seed, then the rep immediately has the grower’s attention.

To find out more about Kannar’s custom blend program, please visit www.kannargroup.com/cropestablishment

Modified from article in Seed World, November 2020

Kannar Earth Science integrates and optimizes seed applied technologies for crop establishment peace of mind

What do you consider for seed applied technologies (SATs)? The essential seedling protection against pests and soilborne diseases? Maybe you’re looking for something to specifically help crop emergence?

Well, there is an alternative solution! What about finding a seed treatment technologies and solutions group that provides the total package for crop establishment?

Kannar Earth Science is here for one reason: to promote ideal agriculture through the design and manufacture of the combination of innovative SAT’s which may consist of active ingredients (AI’s), synergistic fertilizers and related seed applied inputs.

“We provide total confidence,” says CEO Sam Cloete (pronounced “Clue-TAH”). “We use several Rancona based blends with STartUP™ branded components from UPL, such as STartUP IMIDA, METXL, AZOXY and more. We trust these due to excellent efficacy and high quality of the formulations. This ensures reliable stability, compatibility and treating characteristics of the complete package. (Click HERE to request more information and to see the variety of crops we treat.)

“Kannar has invested significant time and resources to develop SeedKOTE™ polymers, pigments, stabilizers and other value-added additives,” he says.

“With total confidence comes total value. We often hear customers mention that we provide the best value because we help them sleep well at night. And the process is simple: Given our dedication to excellence, we replace real problems with real solutions, all backed by science.”

Communication is Key

Cloete says that the quality of the seed treatment on the seed shows a grower just how much technical expertise can be associated with the chemistries on the seed and how it is applied.

“Think about what happens when a seed company shows a grower treated seed: consider the coatings appearance with regard to uniformity, visual appeal, and the seed’s flowability, even in terms of how much less dust is in the seed display cup,” he says. “The industry has really caught on to the value of seed coating by communicating these traits and intellectual property of the treated seed.”

Now, Cloete says, the race is on for seed companies to communicate the importance of treated seed to promote crop establishment for that very grower.

“What do you think of when you think of crop establishment?” he asks. “For a grower, crop establishment relates to all the elements of crop protection, such as your insecticide and fungicide; the high performance of biologicals, whether an inoculant or other yield enhancing technology that is applied alongside the AI treatment; high germination coupled with uniform and rapid emergence across the field. The seed coating contributes significantly to that achievement.”

This is where seed companies can have difficulties arise. When you hit the crossroads of crop protection through traditional AI’s, seed applied fertilizers, micronutrients, hormones and microbials, companies can inadvertently promote undesired outcomes in terms of crop establishment or worse, create sub-par yield.

“It could actually create a yield drag or an emergence concern,” Cloete says. “That’s where Kannar comes in to help.”

Kannar brings the expertise of knowing exactly how all the chemistries on the seed will react, and how to place it properly on the seed to prevent sub-par quality issues when it comes to crop establishment.

Customized Attention

Kannar can devise a strategy to help differentiate the seed in the marketplace by way of appearance and crop establishment performance. Cloete notes that with one seed company, they worked closely to create a seed coating strategy. Once competition caught up there was no need to panic. Instead, it became a mere indication that it was time to deploy the next offering – remaining ahead of the competition.

“We also offer custom ready-to-use blends, saving time for our customer to focus on what they do best — sell seed, service the grower relationship and treat the seed excellently and quickly,” Cloete says. “That helped them to distinguish themselves in the marketplace from their competitors.”

In the end, there’s one thing to take away: Kannar is a reliable, full-service provider of seed treatment equipment, your foundation of seed treatment AI’s and everything that goes with it.

“We might be the new kids on the block, but we have an impressive history developing and working with seed treatments,” Cloete says. “And we have serious expertise to go along with it.”

To find out more about Kannar’s custom blend program, please visit www.kannargroup.com/cropestablishment

Modified from article in Seed World, October 2020

Choosing the right crop input distributor for you and your product or technology

Agriculture is in a very exciting time with many new innovations. Yield enhancing crop input technologies are more diversified and complex than ever before. Indeed, we live in an exciting time where any one person or a small company can make positive and lasting changes in how we grow and cultivate crops. Consumers and growers are demanding newer and more efficient technologies. Growers have evolved and are also more adoptive of new technology. Finding the right distributor relationship, with good communication and similar goals, will help you take advantage of the opportunities and see great success.

But finding the ideal distributor for your unique crop input technology can be challenging. The big questions:

Does an ideal distributor already market technologies similar to what you have?
Do they already market a competing technology?
Or, ideally, do they not have offerings like what you may bring them?

These questions are important to ask to ensure that your product receives the attention it deserves and the resources needed to allow for commercialization. If the targeted distributor is already marketing a similar product, they may have a conscious or subconscious motivation to keep competing technologies off the market. They may view your new product as a threat to the investment of time, money and resources they’ve already made.

If you are a foreign entity trusting your technology with a new distributor in a new country, the last thing you want is for your technology to be strategically tied up by a group that represents themselves as the ideal distributor of your technology. You can try and overcome this potential pitfall with performance guarantees only to learn a year or two later that this “ideal distributor” never intended to even try and achieve market penetration and meet or exceed the performance guarantees. What you’ve lost in time can be irreplaceable in terms of economic loss. In fact, you may have provided the industry with an opportunity to invent “me too” products. Essentially, if you don’t have a motivated distributor, you’ve spent a lot of money educating your competition.

So, what SHOULD you look for in your ideal crop input distributor?

First and foremost, you want a distributor that is hungry for market penetration. The distributor needs to WANT your technology and have a strong appetite to commercialize it.

The right distributor will have industry understanding and use appropriate restraint.

The distributor should demonstrate a degree of technical appreciation and understanding of what you bring to agriculture. Your “technical language” should be well understood. Your representative should comprehend principles behind your technology and appreciate the mode of action, the uniqueness and the value add it brings to the industry. They should even be able to add to your story to help market to the local grower. A simple indication that you are in good company would be that at the end of your presentation, they should be able to verbalize what they hear from you in a language that makes sense to you.
Restraint is important because it’s simply not feasible to market to all places at once. The right distributor will focus on specific geographic regions and crops, especially at first. In contrast to smaller agricultural countries, the United States’ scale is so much larger and the ideal distributor understands the amount of work and the nuances involved in each sector. Given that the United States is one of the biggest crop producers in the world, one can appreciate that the market is more complex when compared to a small country. The ideal distributor should not promise to go after all sectors right away.

If they can’t state it back to you, then they don’t understand you. You should hear, “WOW – that’s amazing. We don’t have that here. We know exactly where this product would be a good fit.”

Your right distributor has resources available to commercialize your technology.

Financial: They should have the financial means to undertake U.S. trials and, if needed, product registrations and further research and development of marketing material.
Manpower: There should be experts to analyze the data and share the message in the marketplace.
Contacts: Not only should a distributor have a strong base of industry contacts, but they should also be willing to freely share with you the contacts that would help get the word out. This includes but is not limited to agronomists, academics, key growers, retailers, and even possible manufacturers.
A sense of humility and ability to overcome challenges when things don’t go as planned is important. The ideal distributor will be cautious before making any guarantees of performance while also taking responsibility for the successes and failures related to their marketing efforts.
For instance, trials in the U.S. may inadvertently show negative or undesirable results only to find that it was due to the seed quality, an unusual weather pattern, a translation mistake or even an accidental spill.
- EX: a spray herbicide was used and the tank wasn’t washed completely so that when a fertilizer was added to the tank and then used, the crop was killed from the application of the herbicide residue

Don’t be afraid to ask what the budget would be or to give you a business plan that allocates what resources will be used to market your technology and include what they do in case things don’t go as planned. These answers are insightful.

In general, be wary if a distributor already has similar technology, but don’t refrain from having a discussion. They may not be satisfied with what they already have and appreciate that you may have something that addresses a real need in the marketplace. They may be willing to entertain marketing your product provided it doesn’t impact any contractual obligations they may have already agreed to.

If they don’t have your technology, they may initially lack minor areas of expertise, but you should see a strong motivation to offer good technology in the marketplace. They will learn by working with and for you.

Kannar has experience in just how difficult it is to fully understand and appreciate a new technology. It takes commitment to learn, and perseverance and follow through to self-educate when needed. We’re fortunate at Kannar that our team has a nearly insatiable demand to learn more and apply what we learn. We are wary of partnering with people – team members and clients – that claim they know it all. It takes vulnerability to admit you don’t know something, but we will be honest with you if we don’t know something and commit to learning more.

If you were to introduce a new technology, you should outline what success looks like. For instance, there may be agreement that in year one we should have 200,000 acres of treated crops, but in year five it would be one million acres. This discussion should lead to a commitment to evaluate what goes right and what goes wrong. If there is a solid partnership, needed actions will be taken to address areas of concern.

Contact Kannar to start the discussion today. We are excited about the new opportunities in agriculture and want to see if we’re a good fit for your product and maximize your exposure.

Business in Agriculture