It's time to stop using yield as the measurable for cannabis. I'm talking to you Suzie Suits and Sammy Spreadsheets...
A commercial cannabis production site must be prepared to compete with a craft movement...having hundreds of pounds of average, unsellable cannabis is not an advantageous position to be in. Yield alone can not be the direct link to your bottom line.
The mission of my company is redefine commercial cannabis through genetics. We idenify cultivars with commercial structure and desired measurable that possess boutique flower sets.
I suggest we look at a price per plant return versus total biomass yield.
The top third of current cannabis plants are considered "top colas" and at harvest meet the criteria for Flower sales. The highest return of biomass at the register.
The bottom two-thirds of the plant is usually processed into pre-rolls and extracts.
The typical plant has a structure that tapers and has driven this paradigm.
We identify plants that have an even development and distribution of its flower sets...both in size and quality. This trait has resulted in 80-90% of total harvested flower weight meeting "top shelf" sales points in our research and development.
The efficiency and consistency of having a pre-graded product has several positives in operations and manufacturing in additional to the increase in value.
A plant that produces 3 ounces of top shelf craft cannabis flower is significantly more valuable in a commercial facility than a higher yielding mess of biomass destined for the compost pile or vape pen warehouse near you.
Size still matters. Yield is outdated …I prefer quality to volume…and so do your customers.