November 19, 2020

By Lynda Kiernan, Global AgInvesting Media

Lewis & Clark AgriFood announced it has allocated a $7.7 million investment through their Rural RBIC Fund in irrigation tech company Hortau Corp. 

Based in St. Louis, Lewis & Clark is a food and agriculture-focused investment firm targeting land and growth stage businesses through its AgriFood Growth Fund and its AgriFood Rural (RBIC) Fund.

Farming accounts for approximately 70 percent of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, and agtech is at the point of the spear developing new ways to manage and conserve our most precious natural resource.

Since its founding in 2002 Hortau has expanded to also be headquartered in Quebec, Canada, and has grown to become a leader in web-based irrigation management systems that help farmers reduce plant stress, reduce water and energy use and costs, and lessen the overall environmental impact of agricultural production. The company’s proprietary platform measures plant stress using real-time soil tension data, reporting the health status of crops back to operators in real time, giving growers the ability to address issues such as drought, or lack of aeration, before they can have a lasting negative impact on yields.

Hortau’s automated irrigation technology platform also monitors the weather, soil, and water conditions to aid in reducing water, energy, and pesticide usage, as well as fertilizer leaching. Taken together, all of these capabilities working in tandem result in maximum yields.

“Hortau is a technology and market leader in its niche,” said Tim Hassler, principal,  Lewis & Clark AgriFood. “Water conservation efforts will continue to drive growth in smart irrigation technology, and our credit facility will help Hortau benefit from this industry growth.”

The company’s technology has now been contracted on about 270,000 acres across the U.S. and Canada with a focus on high-value crops such as permanent tree and vine crops, vegetable, or berries.

– Lynda Kiernan is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, and HighQuest Group’s Oilseed & Grain News. She is also a contributor to the GAI Gazette. She can be reached at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.