Looije Aguilas is a member of O.P. Looije, a production organization established in 2010. "Our main goal is to grow good quality tomatoes 12 months a year. O.P. Looije has a strategic plan until 2026. To achieve this, one of the partners, Looije Aguilas, decided to acquire 27 hectares to build greenhouses in different phases since 2019; Novagric has also developed these projects," stated Jacqueline, CEO of Looije Aguilas.
In 2022, this tomato producer decided to build a new 7.3-hectare-single-module greenhouse in Murcia, the largest built in Spain in recent years.
The heads of Looije and Novagric planned the project to start planting in the third week of August. "With this new greenhouse, we expect to increase production from 21-22 to 27 kg per square meter."
These companies have been working together for more than ten years, and they are committed to technical optimization to obtain high yields with the best quality.
Jacqueline Looije (Looije Aguilas) and Juan Pardo (Novagric) during the greenhouse construction process.
According to Juan Pardo, technical director of the greenhouse at Novagric, they are in the final phase of this third project. "We have designed a new technological greenhouse adapted to the needs of the client. The optimization of solar radiation is the priority to achieve a high yield and quality in hydroponic cherry tomato crops."
Competitiveness of Spanish greenhouses.
Building a 7.3-hectare single-module greenhouse is unusual in Spain, but Jacqueline lists its advantages: "It is more efficient because we only need one organization to manage the greenhouse. In addition, we only have to manage the climate of a single greenhouse. If we had three modules, we would need three climate systems."
Juan spoke about the various improvements made: "We have designed a light structure that is painted white to reflect solar radiation, and that has different screens and double ventilation systems. This large volume allows for efficient passive climate control and a more uniform climate in the greenhouse."
Thanks to these improvements, people work more comfortably, and the facility needs less maintenance. In addition, thanks to the cultivation channels, productivity is higher, and there are fewer problems with pests and diseases.
Quality and productivity 12 months a year
The greenhouse will produce three varieties of cherry tomatoes throughout the year: round, pear, and mini kumato.
After six months of harvesting, the start has been excellent. Even though summer temperatures in the area reached 41 degrees Celsius and they were very low in winter, "the production is 5-10% higher than we expected thanks to the greenhouse's climate," stated Jacqueline.
For more information:
Novagric
novagric@novagric.com