VIASPACE Announces Giant King™ Grass Growing at Hawaii Agriculture Research Center on Oahu (Part 2)
WALNUT, Calif., Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VIASPACE Inc. (OTC: VSPC) today reported that Giant King Grass previously released from quarantine in Hawaii is successfully growing at the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC) on Oahu. HARC, which originally began in 1882 as a trade organization of the sugarcane industry, today has the mission to support a viable agricultural sector in Hawaii by researching and applying relevant science and technology to achieve practical solutions and by identifying new agricultural opportunities.
The US Department of Agriculture previously approved VIASPACE's proprietary Giant KingTM Grass for distribution throughout the United States, and has approved it for export to many countries. However, Hawaii has additional strict regulations for importation of plants. Hawaii required that Giant King Grass be grown and monitored in their quarantine facility for 12 months. The quarantine period was completed and Giant King Grass was cleared by officials in Hawaii and released. All Giant King Grass in Hawaii must be propagated from the plants that were released from quarantine.
HARC agronomist, Ms. Jamie Barton, is project leader for advanced biofuel research. She stated, "We moved the Giant King Grass from the quarantine facility into our greenhouse. We performed an initial propagation from the quarantine plants in our greenhouse. Then we transplanted into the ground in our experiment station. The Giant King Grass is growing very well and is now more than 15 feet tall."
Ms. Stephanie Whelan, Executive Director of the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, reported, "HARC is actively pursuing opportunities that can help revitalize agriculture on Hawaii. This can be for bioenergy or for animal feed. Giant King Grass addresses both problems and is welcome at our facility."
VIASPACE CEO, Dr. Carl Kukkonen, commented, "The Giant King Grass at HARC will serve as a propagation nursery to supply Giant King Grass to customers in Hawaii, just as our California nursery serves the continental US and the rest of the world. It will also allow us to do experiments in the unique Hawaiian island climate. VIASPACE is in discussions with companies in Hawaii that are pursuing bioenergy, biofuels and animal feed. We have invested a lot of time and energy in getting Giant King Grass cleared for Hawaii. VIASPACE has demonstrated that our proprietary, high yield Giant King Grass can meet the most stringent agriculture standards in the world, and this should give great confidence to potential new customers."
VIASPACE Board Chairman, Dr. Kevin Schewe, concluded, "We are extremely pleased with our relationship with the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center and the care and skill that they have shown in cultivating and propagating our Giant King Grass released from Hawaii's strict quarantine process earlier this year. We now have a reputable and defined site of propagating Giant King Grass on the island of Oahu that will serve us well as we expand into the Hawaiian bioenergy and animal feed market. I encourage our interested investors and clients to view the pictures of our 15 foot tall Giant King Grass growing at HARC on our Facebook page. Hawaii is a very important market for us and it has required a diligent step-by-step process to get to this point of having Giant King Grass available to commercialize there. Our next step is to proceed to commercialization and work to revitalize Hawaii's commercial agriculture, biomass, bioenergy and animal feed business sectors."
Pictures of Giant King Grass at the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center are available on the VIASPACE Facebook page www.facebook.com/viaspaceinc.
A presentation titled: "Giant King Grass: Dual Use Crop-- Animal Feed and Bioenergy" given at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit in Hawaii is available on the VIASPACE website www.VIASPACE.com.
About VIASPACE Inc.
VIASPACE grows renewable Giant KingTM Grass as a low-carbon fuel for clean electricity generation; for environmentally friendly energy pellets; and as a feedstock for bio-methane production and for green cellulosic biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. Giant King Grass is a proprietary, high yield, dedicated biomass energy crop. Giant King Grass when it is cut frequently at 4 to 9 feet tall is also excellent animal feed. The USDA granted approval for planting Giant King Grass throughout the US and cooperates in exporting by performing the required inspections and issuing the phytosanitary certificate needed for import into foreign countries. Giant King Grass is being grown in California, Arizona, Hawaii, St. Croix Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, South Africa, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Guyana, Jamaica and Philippines. For more information, please go to www.VIASPACE.com or contact Dr. Jan Vandersande, Director of Communications, at 800-517-8050 or [email protected].
Safe Harbor Statement
Information in this news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, risks outlined in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and other factors over which VIASPACE has little or no control.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viaspace-announces-giant-king-grass-growing-at-hawaii-agriculture-research-center-on-oahu-part-2-735169294.html
SOURCE VIASPACE Inc.
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