A new venture in Alberta is supporting the growth of insect agriculture through the production of black soldier fly (BSF) eggs. FairGene, a joint effort between Fairville Farming Co. and NRGene Canada, has opened a specialized egg production facility in Bassano.
The operation has already begun producing eggs and is focused on supplying insect farmers with a consistent and dependable source of stock. Industry leaders believe reliable egg production is essential as black soldier fly farming continues to grow worldwide.
Black soldier flies have gained attention for their ability to convert organic materials into valuable products such as protein, oil, and frass. These products are increasingly being used in agriculture and animal nutrition, making insect farming an emerging part of the agricultural landscape.
"From the beginning, we saw genetics as critical to building a reliable BSF egg production operation," said William Wipf, Secretary at Fairville Farming Co. "NRGene Canada brought the genetics platform and expertise we were looking for, and through FairGene we're turning that shared vision into a dedicated facility here in Alberta."
The FairGene facility uses advanced breeding technology developed by NRGene Canada. Its MaxBSF™ genetics platform is intended to improve production performance by supporting faster growth, better resource utilization, and shorter production cycles. These improvements can help producers increase output while using existing infrastructure more effectively.
"FairGene is an important step in bringing our MaxBSF™ genetics into dedicated egg production," said Yossi Levi, CBO at NRGene Canada. "Together with Fairville's agricultural experience and production capabilities, we're creating a practical platform to support BSF producers worldwide with reliable, genetics-based egg supply."
Another key development is a larval delivery system that allows newly hatched larvae to be shipped directly to farms. This approach provides producers with a ready-to-use starting point and reduces the need for on-farm egg incubation.
By combining farming experience with advanced genetics, the partners hope to create a stable supply chain for insect producers. The facility is currently the sole provider of MaxBSF™ egg production and is preparing additional growth as industry demand expands.