First prototype
of the new
AlphaCro
Vertical Growing System
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) --
03/23/10
Valcent Products (OTCBB: VCTZF),
www.valcent.net,
today announces that the first prototype of the new
AlphaCrop™
vertical growing system has been delivered and is
operational at the Company's facilities in Cornwall,
England. AlphaCrop™ complements the well established
VertiCrop™ system and is specially designed for smaller
commercial growers and amateur growers looking for
smaller but still highly cost effective compact units
which demonstrate their commitment to growing fresh
produce and reducing food miles.
"This premier unit has been designed to enable root
crops such as baby carrots and salad potatoes to be
grown, as well as fruit crops including strawberries,"
says Chris Bradford, President and CEO of Valcent
Products. "Plant trials with a variety of crops will
commence shortly, and it is expected that AlphaCrop™
units will complement the production of leaf crops from
the Company's larger VertiCrop™ system. AlphaCrop™ will
eventually be manufactured in three different sizes to
suit a wide range of grower requirements."
"So far the performance of the prototype has met all our
requirements," says Bradford "and within a few days the
second prototype will be delivered which has been
designed specifically for the keen amateur gardener and
hobby grower. AlphaCrop™ can be adapted to a variety of
growing methods, employing a hydroponics system or using
conventional growing media such as compost, to meet
organic standards if required."
Together with the company's early success with the
prototype comes the news that Launceston College will
become the first academic institute in the world to use
a vertical growing system both as an educational
facility and also to provide fresh produce for their
students. Launceston College has recently been
re-designated as a specialist technology center
preparing students for science courses at University.
The College will take delivery of the first commercial
AlphaCrop™ unit off the production line which will be
used by the Applied Sciences department to introduce
students to the concept of vertical farming, and by
students in the Hospitality diploma course supplying
fresh vegetables for their catering unit.
"We are really excited about the prospect of working
with this ground breaking technology," said Claire
Penfold, the College's Deputy Principal. "We already
have a close working relationship with Valcent Products
who are our neighbors in Launceston, and our students
visit their research facilities on a regular basis. When
we heard about the AlphaCrop™ development, we recognized
immediately that it could play a key role in providing a
practical demonstration of this new technology in a
learning environment, and we will be working closely
with the Valcent team to explore its full potential."
AlphaCrop™ will be distributed throughout the United
Kingdom and Ireland by Ikon International, who will be
displaying the "hobby grower" version of the prototype
on their stand at
GROW 2010, the International Hydroponics Exhibition
to be held in Manchester on 27th - 28th March.
AlphaCrop™ will also be distributed through Em-Link LLC,
the Boston based Master Distributor for Valcent products
in the United States, who have already secured
significant interest for the company's VertiCrop™ system
in a number of major US cities.
To view the AlphaCrop™ prototype undergoing acceptance
trails, please visit the website at
www.valcent.eu and
click on to the video link.
About Valcent Products Inc:
Valcent Products Inc. (OTCBB: VCTZF) specializes in
growing solutions and plant based consumer products and
is a leader in the development of innovative and
practical eco-technologies. For more information, visit:
www.valcent.net and
www.valcent.eu and
contribute at
http://blog.valcent.net/.
Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements: This press
release contains forward-looking information, in that it
describes events and conditions, which Valcent Products,
Inc. reasonably expects to occur in the future, and
statements including opinions, assumptions and
estimates. Forward-looking statements include
information that does not relate strictly to historical
or current facts. When used in this document, the words
"seeks", "anticipate", "believe", estimate", "expect",
"forecast", "intent", "may", "project", "plan",
"potential", "should" and similar expressions are
intended to be among the statements that identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
are not guarantees of future performance and are subject
to a wide range of known and unknown risks and
uncertainties, including inability to complete sales in
process or develop positive cash flow from anticipated
product sales, and although the Company believes that
the expectations represented by such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance
that such expectations will be realized. We have
attempted to identify important factors that could cause
actual results, performance or achievements to vary from
those current expectations or estimates expressed or
implied by the forward-looking information. The risks
and uncertainties that could affect future events or the
Company's future financial performance are more fully
described in the Company's quarterly reports (on Form
6-K filed in the US and the financial statements and
Form 51-102F1 filed in Canada), the Company's annual
reports (on Form 20-F filed in the US and the financial
statements and Form 51-102F1 filed in Canada) and the
other recent filings in the US and Canada. These filings
are available at
www.sec.gov in the US and
www.sedar.com in
Canada. For all such forward-looking statements, we
claim the safe harbour for forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Valcent disclaims any obligation to
update any forward-looking statement made herein.
Cusip# 91881202
Contacts:
Valcent Products Inc.
Gerry Jardine
Investor Relations
(888) 506-7979 or worldwide: (604) 608-6192
Valcent Products Inc.
Mike Parker
Investor Relations
(888) 506-7979 or worldwide: (604) 608-6192
info@valcent.net
www.valcent.net
Vorticom Public Relations
Nancy Tamosaitis
Media Relations
(212) 532-2208
Nancyt@vorticom.com
