Idai Nature celebrates its Family Day at Mestalla

The company fulfilled the dreams of the young and old to play on the grass at Mestalla Stadium

Playing a game of football (soccer) in the Valencia CF stadium was this year’s main event to enjoy on the Idai Nature Family Day. Workers, family and, of course, the little ones felt like real stars when they came out through the changing rooms’ tunnel and their names were read over the public address system.

No detail was spared, the official VCF bus picked up the players and the corporate equipment was waiting for them in the locker room of the first team. The game was refereed by a referee and two federated assistant referees and there was background music and face painting throughout the entire event.

The Mestalla VIP Box was available to the public to cheer on their colleagues and family and, after the games, the day was topped off with great catering provided by the company in the Valencia CF trophy room. It was the final touch to a magnificent day that, most certainly, none of the participants will ever forget.

Idai Nature Family Days

Reforestations, Christmas circus, spending the day at the company’s farm, a visit from the Three Wise Men… Each year Idai Nature organizes several events in which employees enjoy sharing activities with their family members and co-workers, thus strengthening emotional ties between the family that makes up Idai Nature.

Idai Nature has had 10 successful years thanks to innovation

Concerts featuring Los Secretos and Siniestro Total will be given on 4 July under Idai Nature’s slogan, “We’re still different”

What started as a dream of a natural fertilizer factory in Pobla de Vallbona is now an international company that exports to 35 countries, has a subsidiary in Mexico and another in the United States, a franchise in Ghana and another in Switzerland and is part of an important international group in the agrochemical sector.

In the last 10 years, Idai Nature’s products have changed the lives of thousands of farmers who have become the brand’s most important practitioners. “We were born in the midst of the financial crisis, without grants, without a budget for sales agents or advertising. We had to earn farmers’ confidence based on the results from our natural products.”

This is how Carlos Ledó, founder and CEO of Idai Nature, explains the beginnings of a company that, from the beginning, had a clear idea that innovation and taking care of the environment were to be its two pillars. “When a natural product works the first time, farmers think it’s chance or luck. We had to demonstrate everything two or three times and that’s how we managed to become strong and earn our customers’ trust. They became our best sales agents and that’s how we started to grow.”  

The key to Idai Nature’s success has been to never stop innovating, “All of the profits from the first years were dedicated to continue researching to develop new products. To continue growing, we had to offer farmers natural and effective solutions that would allow them to be more profitable and access more markets.”

In a sector as traditional as the agricultural one, for something different to be successful is, on many occasions, practically impossible, but this Valencian company has achieved that and, for that reason, they are going to celebrate it with a huge anniversary party under the slogan: “We’re still different.”

On 4 July, all those who have contributed over the past 10 years to Idai Nature becoming the international benchmark in biocontrol are invited to a huge Anniversary and inauguration party at the company’s new facilities in Pobla de Vallbona where it’s confirmed that groups such as Los Secretos and Siniestro Total will be performing.

“We want all those who in one way or another have contributed to making Idai Nature what it is today to celebrate a special moment like this one with us and feel like part of this dream that has been realized,” concluded Ledó at the presentation of the event. 

Ascenza’s farming your future towards sustainable crop protection

Following the ongoing activities linked to Developing a Sustainable Portfolio, the technical and portfolio central team visited some of the screenings running in Italy, Spain and Portugal on corn herbicides and grape downy mildew fungicides, in the second half of July.
In these screening trials, ASCENZA’s objective is to bring new products to face future market needs such as:

• Anticipate product rate restrictions in corn, with new technical solutions helping to reshape the future of corn weed control program.
• Overcoming dimethomorph withdrawal in grape downy mildew fungicides with new and safer solutions

At the end of the day, there were some important results that can help to define the strategy for ASCENZA’s grape and corn sustainable portfolio.

Dhanashree, Tradecorp’s distributor in India, visits Spanish factories

Tradecorp received 17 Indian clients this past month from the company Dhanashree. During their five-day trip the group toured Spain while getting a behind the scenes look into the manufacturing process of Tradecorp’s products. In addition, they gained a better understanding of just how Tradecorp’s specialty crop nutrition products are produced and their effects in crops out on the field.

Their first stop was at Tradecorp’s factory in Albacete, where the company’s liquid products are produced. Here, the Indian clients were introduced to various aspects of the facility such as the reactors, raw material warehouses, the drying tower along with the company’s label machine that allows the Company to create personalized labels not only for each designated country, but also for every client’s needs.

In addition, The Dhanashree clients then visited the factory’s onsite laboratory where they were introduced to Tradecorp’s strict quality controls that test everything from raw materials to the final product. The group also got to know the R&D section of the laboratory that allows for Tradecorp to constantly create innovative new products.
Some products which are created at the Albacete facility include the line of Humic acids, a well-known group of substances derived from the oxidation and mineralization of organic matter, with high capability for soil amendment. Another important line produced at this facility are the Foliar Fertilizers: plant nutrients in a liquid/powder that are helpful in plant nourishment, especially when nutrients cannot be easily spread on/into the soil, or when a certain nutrient is blocked or insufficient within or immobile in the plant.

In the fields of Murcia and Alicante

Upon their visit in Spain, the Indian clients also went to the fields in the provinces of Murcia and Alicante, located in the south-eastern part of the country. Here, expert advisor Ramón Navia, Agricultural Engineer and Consultant, spoke to the clients about citrus production. Mr. Navia advised the Dhanashree group on problems that could occur during the crop cycle and how to deal with them.

While in Murcia and Alicante, they also visited table grape fields that had been using Tradecorp products, showing how with this application is done throughout the crop cycle.

In only a few days, the Dhanashree clients got a first-hand look at Tradecorp’s entire production line: from the quality controls of raw materials, to the making of the actual product, to its use in the field, and ultimately, the effect of Tradecorp’s products on the quality and production of crops.

Australian Ambassador visits Tradecorps Factory in Ireland

This July the Australian Ambassador, Richard Andrews, and his wife, Saovanee Andrews visited the OGT factory in Ireland to see where OGT, a Tradecorp subsidiary, combines its innovative technology and experience to create the Phylgreen range. This product is a liquid seaweed extract based on 100% Ascophyllum nodosum harvested from the coasts of Ireland.

OGT Facilities

Ambassador Richard Andrews and Savanee Andrews were first greeted by Nuala Byrne, Lab Technician at OGT. She gave an overview of the OGT facilities, and the processes such as the raw extraction of materials, and the quality procedures in place.

Upon their visit, the Ambassador and his wife witnessed how after extraction, the seaweed is taken to the OGT factory where it is then washed and then converted into granules. In observing the natural process, they witnessed how no additives are added to the seaweed extract.

Subsequently, the Andrews witnessed the Gentle Extraction process, a method of cold extraction, which preserves all the active ingredients from the seaweed without the addition of chemical substances while simultaneously preserving the enviornment This occurs with the help of evaporators that then separate the seaweed into soluble and non-soluble groups. The Soluble is then used to create the final product, Phylgreen.

More about Phylgreen

Phylgreen is a biostimulant made from a natural resource, a pure seaweed extract Ascophyllum nodosum. This brown seaweed lives in a highly stressful environment, subject to constant tidal action. Therefore, the seaweed plant has developed a high number of anti-stress active ingredients to survive, such as alginates, mannitol and polyphenols, among others. In addition, the seaweed is harvested in a sustainable way, by hand. Tradecorp combines this unique technology with its experience in biostimulants and specialty fertilisers to create anti-stress solutions which nourish and enhance the metabolism of all crops.

Ximo Puig inaugurates the world’s most sustainable building at Idai Nature

The President attended the celebration of the 1st World Award for Excellence in Sustainable Architectural Design granted to the Valencian company Idai Nature

Idai Nature, a benchmark company that produces unique natural solutions for biocontrol in the cultivation of residue-free fruits and vegetables, has celebrated with the President of the Government of Valencia, Ximo Puig, employees, customers, suppliers, friends and other authorities, becoming the first Spanish company to win the 1st World Award for Excellence in Sustainable Architectural Design 2019, from the prestigious BUILD Sustainable Building Awards. In addition, the offices were the first industrial offices in Spain to obtain the stringent Passivhaus construction certificate.

The President wanted to congratulate the CEO and founder of the company, Carlos Ledó, for what this prize means and for the Passivhaus offices; he expressed how proud he is that this prestigious prize was awarded in Spain and, more specifically, in the Valencian Community. In addition, he visited all its facilities and has shown his support for the activity carried out by Idai Nature, thanking it for its commitment to sustainability, the environment and society.

The architect Rubén Muedra and the construction company Nidekker created facilities fully adapted to what Idai Nature is pursuing. “They’re smart offices that are friendly to the environment and the people who work in them thanks to the Passivhaus international standard. We’re the first industrial office building in Spain to attain this certification and bringing that award to the Valencian Community is a pride for all of us” explains Carlos Ledó, Idai Nature’s CEO and founder.

El estándar de arquitectura Passivhaus es el más exigente de construcción. Reduce un 80% el consumo de energía y un 90% las emisiones de CO2, renueva el aire de forma inteligente y permite prevenir y reducir las enfermedades respiratorias. En definitiva, un proyecto de sostenibilidad y eficiencia energética. Aprovechando la cita, Idai Nature ha querido conmemorar también sus diez años de actividad en una jornada muy especial para todos los invitados.

The Passivhaus architectural standard is the most exacting one used in construction. It reduces energy consumption by 80% and CO2 emissions by 90%, uses smart air renewal and prevents and reduces respiratory diseases. In short, this project is all about sustainability and energy efficiency.

Taking advantage of the moment, Idai Nature also wanted to commemorate its ten years of activity with a very special day for all its guests. The celebration was framed within the slogan “We’re still different”. All the people who, in one way or another, have been part of this dream, were encouraged to participate in the special day.

Throughout the day, the guests were able to visit the central offices, the manufacturing plant and the Naturalia experimental farm in the Pobla de Vallbona – where their own internal tests are carried out and which is accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out official tests (EOR). Later in the afternoon, David Meca addressed the attendees to give a motivational talk. The final touch was the concerts by the groups Los Secretos and Siniestro Total.

Thanks to these facilities, Idai Nature continues to show its commitment to and friendliness towards the environment by wagering on innovation and cutting-edge technology.

Idai Nature

Idai Nature, founded in 2009 by Carlos Ledó, is known internationally for its innovative capacity and has belonged to the Sapec Agro Business Group since 2018, which, in turn, has been owned by BRIDGEPOINT since 2017. We develop natural solutions for biocontrol in agriculture.

Idai is an acronym standing for the Spanish words for Research, Agricultural Development and Innovation. It can be found in more than 35 countries and develops, manufactures and markets products based on botanical and mineral extracts, for farmers who wish to invest in profitable, sustainable, balanced and forward-looking agriculture.