CITYMAX: Organic agriculture should benefit everyone but not be a luxury

Editor’s note:

Since participating in the launch event of the Chinese market of the CityMax Group in 2020, we have also witnessed the construction of the company's second-phase factory, and its development process of officially joining the The European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) in 2021. The company has became one of the few Chinese biostimulant companies recognized by Europe.

Different from many companies that started in the domestic Chinese market, CityMax first started the road of branding in overseas markets. In North America, South America, Europe and the Middle East and other regions that attach more importance to sustainable agriculture and organic agriculture, CityMax has accumulated experiences in products customization and technical service.

AgroPages interviewed David Zhang, board director of CityMax, on the topics of how biostimulants serving organic planting, product technology & innovation, and grower's views.

1. Could you introduce the main business, global deployment, and core competitiveness of CITYMAX?

As a leading innovative biostimulants manufacturer, CITYMAX has engaged in Humic acid, Amino acid and Seaweed extract products for decades. People from more than 60 countries have benefited from CITYMAX products. We have also developed brand distributors in more than 25 countries.

As an active member of a worldwide biostimulant manufacturer, CITYMAX was the first to get OMRI and ECOCERT under all product series. The REACH certificate for many products allows us to enter European markets. As a systematic group company, the CITYMAX innovative plant also got the ISO and BV certificates. And as an EBIC member, we are sure that more friends in this area are using our technologies, innovation, and production.

Our main markets are now in North and Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East countries. Our clients chose CITYMAX for the high-quality products, professional technical support, specific application guidance, and most importantly, because we can provide them with many customized products and suggestions according to different soils and crops, countries, and the special needs of customers. CITYMAX brings a new world of biostimulant products to the customers.

Regarding the core competitiveness of CITYMAX products, I can sum it up in three words: safety, effectiveness, and stability. Safety is the embodiment of a safe production process and compliant raw material input; in the performance of experiments on crops and the trial feedback from end customers, we have concluded effective product characteristics; and stability is more dependent on advanced production equipment and process control. Walking into the innovative factory of CITYMAX, our automated production line, DCS control system, and plant physiology laboratories fully reflect these three characteristics of the product.

Our team and partners are another core competitiveness. As a young professional technical team, in line with the principle of being the most professional organic supplier, we are bringing new feelings and experiences to customers, making many of their ideas and needs possible. And our partners around the world use products and services to help us connect with end customers and get feedback. Many thanks to my team and partners!

2. Could you introduce the product line that is certified as organic and the innovation technology of CITYMAX? What is your new product development strategy? How does the company combine the products with services?

CITYMAX holds a branding strategy from the very beginning. The Organic certificate is one of the most important steps for us. Below are the product lines and general compositions for CITYMAX organic certified products that we manufacture and provide in large quantities:

With leading MRT Molecule recombination technology and LTG Granulation technology, CITYMAX brings more innovative biostimulant products to the world every year. Among them, MRT molecular recombination technology has been developed independently by CITYMAX. By splitting and recombining effective molecular structures, this technology fuses effective functional groups to form functional groups with smaller molecular weights that are more easily absorbed and utilized by crops. It dramatically improves the product’s safety, effectiveness, and hydrophilicity, and then meets more application scenarios, improves the effects and customer experiences.

When it comes to our brand specialty, customization is an essential word. It is not only a simple package design. It is more about knowledge output. With professionals who have been in this area for decades years and application feedback from worldwide customers, we are providing innovative ideas based on countries, different soil conditions, diverse crops, and even special brand development ideas.

CITYMAX also pays much attention to technical support. Every year, we walk around the whole world and visit clients. Their crops will talk to us directly. Knowing the soil condition and crops’ performances, we would provide nutrition suggestions.
About combining products with services, like one of our partners said: Plants talk. We believe that the key point to becoming a client’s trusted friend and partner is not to push the orders but to provide the best service with professional knowledge.

3. How can biostimulants be used for the best returns? Are there any other specific requirements for the use of these products? Can you highlight the use of these products in organic farming?

Under the current situation of more and more serious adversity stress, the nutrients absorbed by crops from the soil and the environment are becoming more and more limited, and the process of absorbing nutrients and metabolism will encounter problems. Biostimulants can provide the corresponding adjustment plan.

Biostimulant products are derived from nature, but there is still much room for development in applications.

We believe that it is necessary to continuously use biostimulant products during the growth of crops, which can ensure a full range of nutrition from seed germination to fruit harvest. In addition, selecting products according to different growth stages and different physiological needs of crops is more conducive to the performance of crops. For example, there is a need for rooting and resistance in the seedling stage, and humic acid and seaweed products are the best choices. Finally, mixing with pesticides and inorganic nutrients can effectively reduce the amount of pesticide residues and inorganic nutrients, reduce farmers' costs, and reduce agricultural pollution.

4. Could you briefly introduce the organic biostimulant global market landscape, driving force and its growth prospects over the coming years? What is the strategic position of your company in this area?

At present, the global biostimulant market is still in the stage of vigorous development, and there are more suppliers around the world. However, due to the professionalism and particularity of biostimulants, the supervision and standards of these products are not consistent in various countries, which has caused certain obstacles in the brand's globalization strategy. And from a technical perspective, most organic biostimulant suppliers in the international market tend to be homogeneous and lack technological innovation.

In the next few years, CITYMAX believes that having stronger R&D capabilities, actively expanding in the field of knowledge, and improving production technology is the right development strategy for a responsible supplier. In addition, CITYMAX is also carrying out tracking experiments on key crops in multiple countries and regions to reduce the experimental time required for domestic and foreign customers before purchase and during the market promotion. This move can save customers the usual two to three years of experimentation. In the future, CITYMAX will provide full-stage, full-nutrition solutions in different crop cultivation in various regions of the world. This is also a move in line with development and trends.

In addition, CITYMAX will also establish a global crop planting technology exchange platform to truly build a bridge of communication and learning for growers worldwide, and use actions to practice the purpose of "making organic agriculture benefit thousands of households".

5. Organic farming land doubled in China; India continued to be the country with the most organic producers. What is your view of these two emerging organic powers?

First, the doubling of organic farmland in China shows the huge potential of our organic biostimulant market in China. In the next decade, it is foreseeable that the growth and expansion rate of China's organic farmland and organic biostimulants market will not slow down. This is inseparable from the guidance and promotion of the Chinese government. After all, the sustainable development of green agriculture will benefit each of us.

Secondly, the increase in the organic farmland area in China has also led to many global fertilizer and pesticide giants entering the Chinese organic biostimulant market in recent years to seize the opportunity and market. This is also an inevitable choice for the development of the industry, which also makes us participate in more intense industry competition and exchanges. Of course, this is also very beneficial to speed up the recognition and understanding of biostimulant products by domestic organic growers.

In 2018, at its opening, the CITYMAX Innovation Factory invited well-known global biostimulant suppliers and ECOCERT speakers in China, to participate in the organic agriculture forum themed "Sharing the Organic, Creating the Future". At the forum, organic agriculture elites from various countries expressed their opinions, shared the development of the local market, and discussed the future of the world's organic biostimulants. The bridge of communication allows every participant to see the prospects of this industry, and CITYMAX is also determined to promote the development of organic agriculture along the Belt and Road with practical actions.

Regarding the growth in the number of organic suppliers in India, this is a continuing trend in the coming years and boosts the growth of the organic biostimulants market in Southeast Asia. This market is what CITYMAX has been paying attention to, and we will make deployments in this market for such a trend.

What CITYMAX has been working on is to make high-quality organic biostimulant products enjoyed by people in every country and region. Therefore, from the beginning of its establishment, CITYMAX has intensified development and experimentation in South America, Asia, Africa and other countries and regions. At present, it has many partners and established deep friendships in these regions.

Langplaas organics from South Africa and Grupo Grandes from Ecuador have been brand agents of CITYMAX for almost 10 years. The following are their feelings about the cooperation with the CITYMAX brand, and the direct feedback of some local growers on using the CITYMAX brand products.

“Langplaas Organics is privileged to be a family member of CITYMAX Group and be part of the global story to make a lasting impact by growing healthy crops in a truly regenerative way for all types of cropping systems. It is our passion and joy to walk alongside farmers, helping them to grow high-yielding mineral and vitamin dense produce using organic certified biostimulants and other regenerative practices such as cover crops.

We walk the talk with every farming operation, whether organic or conventional. We are convinced that regenerating our farmlands one farm at a time, will ensure a better and happier world for our children and the generations to come. Regenerative farming is the only sustainable way to achieve this goal, and by using tools such as bio-stimulants and organic acids this goal is achieved more profitably, easily and rapidly.

Together with CITYMAX, we at Langplaas Organics are eager to supply our customers with some of the highest quality organic inputs on the market and look forward to taking your hands and become part of your journey on this most important path.”

------Founders of Langplaas Organics, Peet and Gert

“Since I started working with biostimulants in 2018, I have never been disappointed with the result. The broad spectrum of results we have achieved in short periods has always been the number one factor that tells us the importance of biostimulants.

From the intermediate chelating factors, buffering effects, siderophore complexes, and structural effect in our soil, to name only a few advantages of using these products have given us the upper hand when it comes to Production, Input cost and long-term ROI (Return on investment). Biostimulants have given us as Regenerative agricultural consultants the opportunity to limit and bridge the gap for farmers who want to change their farming practices from the standard regime to sustainable agriculture that is financially feasible.

In our current economic condition of ever-rising input cost, CITYMAX products have helped farmers reduce input costs while still achieving top quality harvests, soil amendments, foliar applications, and stress relief, which are all part of the package. We have reduced fertilizer application by enhancing availability of ions, promoting aggregate stability in our soils, and helping recolonize our micro fauna. Taking all these factors into account reducing input cost is the proven success of CITYMAX’ wonderful range of products that can be collectively named biostimulants.”

------Local grower, Andre

Most of us are familiar with “more fertilizer into the soil will result in bigger yields.” This, however, is true for a brief period, a practice that is not sustainable over time. Adding to this attitude is plant health. Plants seem to come under more stress the longer we continue down this path. The result being high pesticide and fertigation costs with no substantial improvement in yields and longevity.

Was the move difficult? We were one of the conventional farming practices, if I may call it that. The typical attitude of adding more. More chemicals, more fertilizer etc. Adding to the struggle was the number of available hectares and water quality, due to the circumstances. We replanted the same fields with the same crops to maintain a production stream trying to satisfy the markets. This had an extremely negative effect on the soil and business.

We recently moved over to biostimulants, as our current farming methods were not working. We were not able to get the same tonnages and plant life expectancy as when we initially started on the same soil.

Adding biostimulants to our practices, as all farmers do, we hoped for the “silver bullet.” This was not the case. However, after close examination we noticed slight differences in the growth of our plants and the health of our soil. Over time, the differences have accumulated: Soil quality improved dramatically, available nutrients in the soil have become more accessible to the plants, the result was that our “conventional” fertigation volumes reduced by at least 50%. Plant health improved, soil health and quality improved.

In addition to plant and soil health, we have been able to add to the trend on the mechanical and chemical side. Tractors burn less fuel per hectare, achieving the same result. Cultivation equipment has less wear and tear due to improved soils.

Chemical costs have been reduced and plants have built an immunity.

Incorporating biostimulants into our farming practices has not only saved costs and improved harvests, but it has also forced us to approach our farming practices differently. We now practice agriculture that is sustainable. This has put us into a position to start practicing regenerative agriculture. The position being a shift in our mind set.”

------Local grower, Wayne du Toit

“With fertilizer prices that have nearly tripled in the last year, this product, Max BlackPearl, really saved the day with no drop in yield and a lower production cost, it is really a product to consider.”

------Local grower, Freddie

Grupo Grandes Román SA stands out in the Ecuadorian market because of its quality human capital to provide quality services, as well as quality agricultural products. Likewise, the company excels in leading the innovation and use of nutritional products in different crops. When establishing a commercial relationship with CITYMAX, we found products that fit our requirements, like the Max BlackPearl, which has excelled in this area. A few years later, receiving an invitation to visit the CITYMAX Innovation Factory was a key turning point because at that time I discovered the existence of other products, such as the AminoAcid Calcio. After we started working together on this product, AminoAcid Calcio became my company's star product in one fell swoop. This biostimulant has innovated the biostimulant market by offering different usage benefits, chief among which is the increase in production.

As Grupo Grandes Román SA, we are characterized by a marked leadership in the marketing and positioning of nutritional products, highlighting the unity of the team-sharing experiences in the field with the proper functioning of each of the tested products, throughout the vegetative cycle.

In recent years, the demand and use of biostimulants in banana cultivation have been constantly growing. Farmers are considering that organic products are more effective than chemical products and provide better results for efficiency of use by the plant and reduction of chemical load.

It is a fact that CITYMAX biostimulant products such as AminoAcid Calcio, Max BlackPearl, Max SeaSailer and FulvoMax have a direct impact on the production of different crops. There are various benefits provided by these products in addition to biostimulation. And there are different forms of use, such as foliar applications, irrigation, and in mixture with chemical fertilizers. Within the Top 10 best-selling products in Grupo Grandes, AminoAcid Calcio, Max BlackPearl and Max SeaSailer are in first, fourth and seventh place, respectively.

In recent years, the consumption of products of organic origin such as biostimulants has become popular, to take care of the health and environment of the final consumer, as well as to improve production for its economic performance, adapting to the globalized world in the one we inhabit.

Biostimulation is the most used method to optimize the production of conventional agriculture, with results obtained in the field in recent years, we have achieved credibility and trust in our clients, and thus maintaining fidelity in the operation of the product.
The use of the products of the CITYMAX line has contributed to improving the yield and quality of the crops, contributing to the physiological development of the plants and to expressing their maximum productivity, which has been reflected in better sales by farmers due to the increase in Quality of the products.

The growing trend of organic farming in the global market year by year is due to the demand of consumers who realize that the products used in the production chain should be organic farming health oriented. Also, thanks to producers who understand the environment and practice sustainable farming practices. The demand for organic products in the global market is growing and more and more crops will be grown in an organic and sustainable manner.

Organic farming will be an important growth sector at the national level, as the demand for eco-friendly organic products has increased at the international level, thus, this trend marks an increase in the use of organic products.

I am also sure that CITYMAX products in China and Ecuador can achieve goals and achievements that other companies in the industry cannot match.

------CEO of Grupo Grandes Román SA, Luis Grandes

Click for the topics of the publications: 2022 Organic Farming

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Yutian Lu

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