Calling for Investors | Terms | Investor Brief | Technical Appendix | Pilot Program
1. Pilot Program Objective
To validate COBI’s organic fertilizer and biostimulant formulations on high-value crops (e.g., Agarwood, tropical spices, and perfumery plants), demonstrating:
- Enhanced crop growth and yield
- Improved resin or essential oil quality
- Soil health and microbial activity improvements
- Scalable production economics for investors
2. Pilot Design
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Crown Agroforestry Plantations Inc. pilot plots, Philippines |
| Area | 5 hectares (Agarwood), 2 hectares (spices/perfumery crops) |
| Crop Type | Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis), Ylang-ylang, Cinnamon, Nutmeg |
| Duration | 12 months (one full growth cycle monitored) |
| Treatment Groups | 1) COBI organic fertilizer + biostimulant 2) Standard chemical fertilizers (control) |
| Monitoring Metrics | Tree height, trunk diameter, leaf health, soil nutrient profile, microbial activity, resin yield, essential oil content |
3. Pilot Operations
- Soil Preparation
- Soil testing and amendment using COBI compost & biochar blends
- Baseline soil microbial population recorded
- Fertilizer & Biostimulant Application
- COBI organic fertilizer applied per tree/plot as per crop stage
- Microbial biostimulant applied via soil drench/foliar spray
- Standard chemical fertilizer applied in control plots
- Monitoring & Data Collection
- Monthly measurements of plant growth and leaf nutrient levels
- Quarterly soil nutrient analysis
- Resin/essential oil yield harvested and quantified
- Digital tracking via farm management software
4. Pilot Economics Snapshot
| Cost Component | Unit | Quantity | Cost (PHP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Fertilizer | kg | 1,500 | 75,000 | Covers 5-hectare plot |
| Biostimulant | liters | 500 | 50,000 | Monthly application |
| Labor | person-days | 150 | 120,000 | Application, monitoring, data collection |
| Soil & Lab Testing | batch | 12 | 30,000 | Monthly analysis |
| Misc. Supplies | – | – | 10,000 | Tools, irrigation adjustments |
| Total Pilot Cost | – | – | 285,000 PHP |
Cost per Tree: Approx. 1,140 PHP per tree (for 250 trees/hectare × 5 hectares)
5. Pilot ROI Logic
| Metric | COBI Treatment | Control | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Growth Increase | +15–20% | Baseline | Measured in trunk diameter & height |
| Resin Yield / Tree | 0.8–1.2 kg | 0.5–0.7 kg | Forecasted market value 5,000–7,000 PHP/kg |
| Crop Quality Improvement | High resin grade | Standard | Verified via chemical profiling |
| Projected ROI | 25–35% per year | 10–15% | Calculated on increased yield × premium pricing |
Pilot demonstrates clear productivity, quality, and profitability advantage using COBI’s organic formulations.
6. Success Metrics & Investor Signals
- Technical Triggers:
- ≥15% increase in crop yield over control
- Positive soil health indicators (microbial activity, organic matter)
- Consistent product quality for high-value crop outputs
- Financial Triggers:
- Cost per hectare ≤ 60,000 PHP for scalable adoption
- Projected ROI ≥ 25% within first year
- Favorable cost-to-benefit ratio vs. conventional fertilization
- Decision Matrix for Scale-Up:
- Go: Meets technical & financial triggers → proceed to full-scale farm rollout
- No-Go: Falls below 10% yield improvement → review formulations, adjust treatment
- Conditional: 10–15% yield improvement → refine applications, extend pilot duration
7. Next Steps for Investors
- Scale Production: Expand to 50–100 hectares of high-value crops
- Market Expansion: Supply organic fertilizers to additional plantations & cooperatives
- R&D Refinement: Optimize formulations for other tropical and perfumery crops
- Digital Traceability Integration: Real-time monitoring for ESG reporting and premium marketing