Transition to a CO2-free economy leads to a huge increase in demand for fiber crops such as miscanthus. The miscanthus chain is currently not well organized and does not provide a constant supply of sufficient, high-quality material. FOCUS ON RIZOOM wants to professionalize and optimize the crucial links at the front of the chain to guarantee a structurally reliable supply of Miscanthus as a raw material for green end products.
Miscanthus binds a lot of CO2. It supplies fibers that are very suitable for use in many sectors. Demand will increase exponentially in the coming years and a large increase in cultivation is desired. Thousands of hectares need to be planted to meet the growing demand in the Netherlands and Europe. This offers a good opportunity for farmers who want or need to switch to regenerative agriculture.The growing process of miscanthus has two phases. Growing good starting material (rhizome) and the starting material grows into large plants that produce fibers. For constant and profitable fiber production it is essential that the first phase is well organised. That is not yet the case in Europe.
The project includes:- Cultivation conditions and plant treatment,- Optimal mechanized harvesting, cleaning, processing, storage and transport to achieve maximum germination of the propagating material,- Certification to guarantee standardized quality upon delivery.- Setting up a purchasing and sales organization that provides structure to the chain.
It concerns the optimization and professionalization of a new agricultural activity in the Netherlands and Europe, so that it can scale up quickly to meet the rapidly increasing demand for sustainable raw materials.