More Factory Vegetable Production - from Toshiba now

Toshiba has converted one of its former semiconductor plants in Yokosuka, Japan into a vegetable farm with the aim of producing 3 million bags of vegetables a year.

Shipment of the first crop of vegetables from the clean room farm is scheduled for the end of October 2014.

Toshiba’s says its closed-type plant factory uses state-of-the-art technology to raise crops and operates under almost aseptic conditions. Crops being grown in the idle semiconductor factory include leaf lettuce, baby leaf greens, spinach, mizuna and herbs.

The diversification into agriculture could bring in 300 million yen [ 3 million A$ approx] of income for Toshiba in vegetable sales.

Toshiba is utilising the existing cleanroom infrastructure in its plant factories to grow the vegetables in close to sterile conditions. By minimising the presence and thus the damage caused by germs, Toshiba says its crops have an extended period of freshness and shelf life.

The factory is equipped with a wide range of technologies and know-how from across the Toshiba Group, including fluorescent lighting with an output wavelength optimised for vegetable growth; air-conditioning systems that maintain constant temperature and moisture level; remote monitoring systems to track growth; and sterilisation systems for packing materials.

Toshiba is also using a production management system based on that used for its semiconductor device production.

While this is some new news, similar efforts are also underway in Singapore as well as other parts of Japan to grow vegetables indoors.

Will this approach to technology continue to be a major new direction for vegetable production particularly where and is more limited, or there are potential issues with a need for clean production?

Could this be used for a range of crops including melons and smaller fruited crops such as zucchinis?   An interesting conundrum given the current disease issues facing the crop in some parts of the world, including Australia? 

Panasonic Moves to Grow Vegetables Indoors in Singapore

Panasonic, the Japanese electronics giant, has announced its entry into high tech indoor farming in land-strapped Singapore. 

Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia, a regional subsidiary that provides manufacturing systems, is starting out in the grocery business by supplying the 3 local outlets of Ootoya, a Japanese restaurant chain, using a newly developed vegetable cultivation system.

Panasonic's 248 sq.-metre indoor farm is located in Tuas, an industrial zone in western Singapore, and is the first facility of its kind to be licensed by the government.   Panasonic says the innovative soil-based system employs LED lighting to grow vegetables without pesticides in half the time a traditional farm requires. The system also optimizes other growing conditions, including temperature, humidity and CO2 levels.

The Tuas facility has an initial production capacity of 3.6 tons of vegetables per year, but Panasonic hopes to boost output to 1,000 tons by March 2017 - equivalent to about 5% of Singapore's current vegetable production. [THAT would be quite something!!]

Panasonic can cultivate 10 kinds of vegetable at present, including lettuces, radishes, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and basil. It is also producing popular Japanese varieties such as ooba (mint), mizuna (potherb mustard) and mitsuba (wild parsley) that are imported from Japan at present. According to Panasonic, its indoor-farmed produce could be half the price of imports. [ THAT is very relevant]

Panasonic is starting off its futuristic grocery business by supplying 3 kinds of vegetables for Ootoya salads, and will add two more next month. Ultimately, it hopes to produce 30 vegetables.

At a press conference on Thursday, Hideki Baba, managing director of Panasonic Factory Solution Asia Pacific, noted that Singapore at present produces only 8% of the vegetables it consumes due to the scarcity of farm land.    "Panasonic hopes our indoor vegetable farm can contribute effectively to the nation's food self-sufficiency levels," said Baba.

Panasonic's future business model for indoor farming will involve franchisees supplying restaurants and commercial grocers. A system for households that wish to self-grow is also being considered, and there are plans to export systems to Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.    "With the increase of salary levels and a large number of Japanese restaurants in these countries, we expect the demand for fresh and safe vegetables to grow," said Baba.  

Mostly sourced from a press release on July 31, 2014 9:44 pm JST by Tomomi Kikuchi Nikkei Staff writer 

This is an auspicious move - especially with a soil based system, rather than using hydroponics.  While other parts of the world are also developing similar approaches [ think Detroit in the USA for example] this venture in Singapore aims to offer fresh salad greens in a land poor region.

Could this system be replicated elsewhere?   Like Darwin for example?  And think outside the target of Japanese customers - it seems eminently replicable for many, many vegetables.



UPDATE - It seems many are interested in this concept with both Sharp and Fujitsu also involved in similar ventures - some in Japan, and some in the middle east [ Dubai].

Read more here - https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/technology/a/24621789/electronics-giant-panasonic-wants-singaporeans-to-eat-its-veg/

Should we see more of these particularly in both hotter and colder regions of the world where vegetables are needed, but sometimes more difficult to grow, especially year round!

New Melbourne Produce Markets - What a Fiasco!!

Of little relevance to the NT?  One would not think so, with mangoes, flowers, Asian vegetables, melons and other dry season produce all potentially sold or at least partially sold through one or more southern produce markets.

The Victorian government has been orchestrating a  move to a new market site at Epping, with planning and development occurring over the past few years.

But guess what? - the new market is smaller than the existing one at Footscray, the existing wholesalers will not fit, space is more cramped than the current site, the trading floor is significantly reduced and there is to be a ballot for locations.  This effectively reduces the number of wholesalers, and the group are very unhappy over the whole issue.  Some are expected to have to completely close.

The whole thing seems to be a bit of a shambles, according to some media reports.

Many wholesalers and the producers organisations are saying the job losses could exceed those recently announced at Ford.  Interestingly, the media seem to be ignoring this issue, with most of the noise in the specialist agricultural press and radio areas.

existing Melbourne Markets, Footscray

 

Food Bowl in Australia?? Real or Media Hype.

Australia as a food bowl for Asia is a concept that just will not seem to go away.

Technically it is possible to increase food production here in Australia but it might need that magical mystery commodity that often is elusive - WATER.

The latest impressario advocating the food bowl concept is Anthony Pratt.  I think he has already proven to be a useful business person after shouldering the mantle of his father at Visy.  But they have interests in irrigation piping, and have been involved in the concept of piping rather than channels for irrigation water in Victoria.  Pragmatic views or vested business interests?

There is more here - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/in-depth/asia-food-bonanza-our-next-boom-says-anthony-pratt/story-fni2wt8c-1226623037094

[the Austalian is pay walled but think this should be available freely; it might be seen elsewhere]

The food processing side does need to do more but are getting screwed through the major supermarkets and imported manufactured product at low prices.  But......it is interesting to hear that many consumers want Australian grown and processed foods.  Are Chinese vegetables to be trusted, given the issues with food tainting and quality, contaminated land and corruption generally in China?  Many consumers distrust processed food from Asia due to poorer food regulation and safety quality issues. 

The "more agriculture / horticulture and food processing"concept is important, but we need to grow our strengths.

Broadacre crops, including ideas related to precision farming and controlled traffic and livestock production [beef and lamb notably, with chicken too] are two vital areas that can grow without a lot of angst.  With GM crops possibly in the mix as well, especially now that attitudes to this concept seem to be slowly moderating in Europe.  While dairy is getting trashed at the moment over local milk prices, the industry has been internationally focussed for some time and there are growth options in temperate areas - some are being exercised by progressive growers, with sales to Asia, seen as a growth market. 

Meat processing is a labour intensive process, although that is changing, and the new AACo site in Dariwn might showcase some of that and with lower process costs to come from it.  But prices for output is important and need to give a decent return to producers - a tricky business in a world market with options for multi location purchases by Asian countries.

 

AUSVEG the peak body for vegetable industries, is hopeful that growth is achievable, but where?  Water water water - a major need in temperate Australia.  Vegetable and fruit growers have had a tough time recently but they can grow, but not maybe rapidly, and overhanging debt might be a drag.  

Patch development is a concept that could offer some options in north Australia - with suitable areas of modest size being developed with appropriate soil and water resources [ see report of northern Australia land and water task force of 2010].  Some are under development already with a good example the work of Centre Farm in Alice Springs.  More have been identified in a general sense already, by other entities.  And land tenure issues need to be rectified and adjusted across the north.

Qualified scientists in agriculture have diminished and R and D in the sector is declining  - that would need reversing, and will take time.

Achieving the size advocated in today's newspaper article is many years off.  But playing to our strength is important and agriculture in the broad sense is one of Australia's strengths.  But surely we can do more in the value adding area.

Not to mention the need for better market access for our agricultural products through some free trade agreements, currently stalled  - think Japan and China.