GOING VERTICAL FOR BIGGER CROP YIELDS!
New vertical farming technology could potentially supply British supermarkets with fresh strawberries for up to nine months out of a year. Using vertical farming technology in the growth process of strawberries could help Brits enjoy strawberries for a lot longer, not just in the summer months but during the long winter months too.
West Sussex fruit grower Direct Produce Supplies Ltd (DPS) will be supplying Tesco with copious amounts of strawberry grown in vertical beds that will reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced, minimise the use of valuable real estate, while making them available for up to nine months out of the year.
The company insists its new production system of vertically grown strawberries will use 50% less water and lead to a 90% reduction in carbon emissions per kilogram of fruit yielded. They have also observed that yields from vertically-grown crops are significantly higher than using conventional production methods – it is estimated that yields are five times more fruit per square metre than existing methods.
DPS has been trialling the technology for the last three years at their farm near Arundel, West Sussex. A estimated yield of nearly 1,000,000 kilograms of strawberries will soon hit the supermarket’s shelves this summer.
Tesco Fruit Technical Manager Sabina Wyant said: “Vertical crop production is a giant step for fresh produce growers in helping reduce their carbon footprint and use less water, at the same time boosting their yields. For shoppers, there is also a clear benefit, with consistent quality fruit and availability for up to nine months of the year, regardless of the weather conditions.”
DPS Chief Executive Officer Paul Beynon said: “Vertical farming offers growers a protected environment that requires significantly less land, water and energy to produce excellent quality crops.”