Predictive Growing & Reaching Production Targets

What amazing time we had at the Grow Up conference! We hosted two in-person CANNAtalk events and enjoyed many conversations in our CANNA Lounge overlooking the picturesque North Saskatchewan River in downtown Edmonton. The event was divided into a two part series; the first part was a panel where we brought three premium flower growers to discuss product quality, production planning and accuracy, forecasting and emerging markets. This was followed by Part 2, a CANNA sponsored Grower’s Luncheon the following day where groups discussed important topics such as continual process improvements and industry grading standards.

The Canadian cannabis industry is wrought with intense competition as we continue to be inundated with product for domestic sales.  We have also seen as brands start to fail as products lack consistency resulting in a decline in consumer confidence.  Producers need to ensure that what was a premium product one batch is consistently that in subsequent batches and if they are not able to achieve this, have different market segments, i.e. value, to move the product that didn’t meet the premium categorization. All the panelists agreed, in order to succeed, it is imperative to have consistency of brand, regardless of where you are playing.

We touched on the notion of international exports and while most panelists acknowledged that these new markets add regulatory complexities while adding costs to the bottom line. Nevertheless, they are still an exciting opportunity which can often bring higher margins offsetting additional costs. That said, these new markets will not be attainable if the need for quality and consistency, we mentioned previously, are not achieved.

With so many looking at export opportunities, does this then bring the need for an industry standard and product grading like other commodities traded around the world? Is the cannabis industry ready for such a thing and how will this affect current production? We dove into this topic with growers and the topic of what process improvement looks like at their respective facilities during the 6th annual CANNA Grower’s Luncheon.

Grading and standardizing the industry were polarizing topics during the conversations around each table. Adding in this level of standardization has the potential to affect both international and domestic trade (B2B) as well as at the retail level for consumers. While some were adamantly opposed to the idea feeling that it could alienate some producers and felt any process would be too subjective, others saw it as a way to level the playing field for all market segments and a must to compete in international markets.

With respect to process improvement, this was a lot less contentious of a subject. A key theme felt by most growers was the use of appropriate measurements and accurate data collection as the main drivers for any process improvement initiative. This, along with prioritizing initiatives, clear communication, team engagement and transparency at all levels is important. Also, not being afraid to bring in a second pair of eyes to help re-evaluate or re-confirm current processes is something that is generally overlooked in the cannabis space, but very common in other agricultural crops.

Check out the images below, and join us next time where we will bring new industry experts to discuss a new topic driven by these conversations. Make sure to subscribe to the CANNAtalk newsletter to stay updated on all the CANNA events & community!