Drying cocopeat is a vital part of the production chain, but wet weather and rain - common in India - can easily disturb the drying process. To help combat this, the Biogrow team purchased an industrial dryer for their Indian facilities.
Biogrow Substrates India began its life in 2015, with the purchasing of land in a small village called Poosaripatti, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. With the region renowned for its coconut production, market demand high, and raw material both in abundance, and readily available, the main objective was to focus on producing growbags.
Production commenced in 2016, and grew exponentially over the following years. Now, there are 3 large substrate manufacturing sites - all within Tamil Nadu - and a state-of-the-art polyhouse in Karnataka, where growers can receive specialist training for soilless growing.
Installed at the processing unit in 2023, the Biogrow team purchased an industrial dryer primarily to help secure and process more raw material. This helped them to keep up with customer demand, and remain one of the country's top suppliers of premium cocopeat.
"With its boiler powered by compacted biomass, and capable of drying large quantities of raw material at any given time, the industrial dryer has meant that we are no longer at the mercy of inclement weather (predominantly rain), and can continue processing for as long as we need to", says Fabrice Fievre, Biogrow CEO. Thanks to the dryer, the processing season can even be extended, and with the drying process capable of being sped up, higher production capacity can easily be achieved.
"We have been able to increase our production substantially, and guarantee dispatch and delivery no matter what Mother Nature might throw at us! This isn't just good news for us, of course, but for our valued clients", Fabrice concludes. "Although a long-term investment, we are already reaping the rewards, and hope to continue doing so for many years to come."
Biogrow