4 Biggest Challenges for Cannabis Cultivators and How to Overcome Them

Research shows four of the biggest challenges licensed cannabis cultivators face in 2022 are insect and pest/disease prevention and control, increasing yields, achieving target terpene/cannabinoid content, and declining prices and competition.

This information comes from the State of the Cannabis Cultivation Industry Report from Cannabis Business Times, and according to the data collected in the research study, approximately one in three cannabis cultivators ranks one of these four challenges as the biggest problem they’re facing this year.

Let’s take a look at each of the challenges as well as opportunities to overcome them and drive even better results from your grow operations in the future.

Challenge 1: Insect and Pest / Disease Prevention and Control

According to the study results, 31% of cannabis cultivators who responded to the research survey ranked insect and pest / disease prevention and control as the biggest growing challenge they currently face. This statistic may not be surprising if the majority of the survey respondents were outdoor growers, but that wasn’t the case.

The majority of cultivator respondents (54%) self-report that they only grow cannabis indoors, and only 6% of respondents report that they don’t grow indoors at all. Clearly, indoor growers are having problems with inset and pest / disease prevention and control, which should not be happening.

With the right, consistent inputs, creating a clean indoor growing environment is highly achievable. It’s up to each cultivator to make the necessary changes and investments to overcome this obstacle, and it’s certainly in their best interest to do so as soon as possible.

Challenge 2: Increasing Yield

Business growth is on everyone’s mind across the cannabis supply chain, and cultivators are definitely focused on growth, particularly as it relates to increasing yields and maximizing the return on investment for their grow facilities. According to the State of the Cannabis Cultivation Report, 30% of cultivator respondents reported that their biggest cultivation challenge is increasing yield.

As you may already know, cannabis production costs rose in 2021 as a result of many factors, including COVID-19-related supply chain shortages and delays. For cannabis cultivators, these delays affected the availability and price of everything from peat, perlite, and coco to toilet paper.

Increasing yield without excessively increasing costs requires strategic thinking at the cultivation and operational levels. It requires flexibility, adaptability, and a laser-focus on consistency. Cannabis cultivators who aren’t afraid to try new inputs or test subtle changes to their processes will gain measurable advantages in terms of increased yields and maximized ROI in the future.

Challenge 3: Achieving Desired Terpene / Cannabinoid Content

The cannabis industry is on the brink of change. No, this isn’t about federal legalization. This is about shifting from a brand-driven industry to a consumer-driven industry as consumers become more educated about legal cannabis products, preferences evolve, and demand stretches beyond THC level.

Savvy cannabis consumers are becoming more commonplace, and more people are learning how terpenes and cannabinoids work together to create an entourage effect that the body’s endocannabinoid system positively responds to.

With that said, it’s not surprising that 28% of respondents to the Cannabis Business Times survey identified achieving desired terpene / cannabinoid content as their biggest cultivation challenge.

Bottom-line, the cannabis market must evolve with consumers, and consumers are becoming more sophisticated, opinionated, and selective when choosing brands and products to buy. Now is the time for cultivators to invest in the systems, technology, and talent required to not just keep up with those shifting demands but exceed them.

Challenge 4: Competition and Declining Prices

According to the results published in the State of the Cannabis Cultivation Industry Report, 28% of cannabis growers cite competition and declining prices as their biggest operational challenge. Of course, this number varies significantly from one state to another. For example, had this survey only been administered to California cannabis cultivators, the percentage would likely be much higher.

The important thing to note is that competition is growing across the United States, and the more open a state’s legal market is, the more prices are likely to decline (an open market should lead to more competition).

While cultivators may not be able to control what price they can sell their crops for, they can control what they pay to grow those crops. Every input should be evaluated and only those that provide the best consistent quality, the highest yield, and the maximum ROI should be used. When every penny counts, everything should be analyzed and put to the test. When was the last time you put your inputs to the test?

How to Overcome Cannabis Cultivation Challenges

For indoor growers, overcoming cannabis cultivation challenges starts with your inputs. For example, there are measurable benefits of choosing the best soil, including lower costs, reduced risk, enhanced quality, and higher yields.

In addition, look for reliable ways to reduce cultivation labor costs. For instance, did you know there are opportunities at every stage of the grow cycle to reduce labor costs without compromising quality simply by making changes to your growing media? The right growing media helps you lower labor costs by reducing the frequency of transplanting, providing nutrients and water to your plants as needed and on demand, reducing the number and types of inputs you need to use, and removing steps from your processes. All of these benefits lead to lower costs for your company and improved ROI on your grow operation overall.

Implementing changes can be nerve-wracking, so always start by testing. Measure your results and adapt your operating procedures as needed if you want your company to be competitive (and profitable) in the future.

Want to test bio365’s growing media at your facility to measure how it improves your yields, quality, and long-term ROI? Contact us to start a free trial.