Increase of Albanian greenhouse vegetable exports insignificant in period Jan-Apr

The weather has favored Albanian agricultural production this season. The warm winter enabled uninterrupted production of cucumbers, while tomatoes hit the market almost a…

"A super-intensive cherry tree system cannot be exposed to risks"

Entering the market earlier with early varieties of outstanding quality is an undeniable advantage in the cherry sector; just as much as being able to guarantee that the production won't be affected by any weather adversity. Cherry producer and international cherry growing consultant Javier de Pablo…

Two new cover additives to balance the temperature between night and day

The issue of temperature control in greenhouses has become one of the most important aspects of crop management also due to climate change and the swift temperature changes that often occur in the production areas. In particular, high daytime temperatures throughout many months of the year make the…

Gartenbau Hoffmann

"High demand for early glasshouse produce in direct marketing"

On May 22, about the same time as last year, Lower Rhine horticultural company Hoffmann could offer the first blueberries of this year's season. The home-fresh produce from unheated glasshouses is marketed mainly in direct marketing, as Managing Director Stefan Hoffmann tells us. "We offer the early…

Bayer inaugurates new facility for ToBRFV resistance testing

Bayer has cut the ribbon of a new quarantine facility dedicated to testing resistance to Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) virus in tomatoes. The facility, located in Wageningen, The Netherlands, will help strengthen and accelerate Bayer's search for resistant varieties. "This new infrastructure…

Thousands of tonnes of UK produce being destroyed every day

British cucumber growers have not had it easy in the last few years, and 2023 is not looking any better. “It is the perfect storm,” said Lea Stiles from Lea Valley Growers…

Italy: Grape growers switch to tomatoes

The grape crisis, or rather crises, taking place in Italy, as repeatedly reported, was not overcame by all producers. Those who have been able to, have tried to come up with new ideas and new entrepreneurial solutions. One of them is Giovanni Mangiapane, a long-established grape grower in the renowned…

© Fraunhofer ISE

During the next three years, 2.5 million euros will be made available

As part of the research project 'Modellregion Agri-Photovoltaik für Baden-Württemberg', the Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and eleven other project partners are building and testing five Agri-PV pilot plants in Baden-Württemberg. Recently, State…

Italian greenhouse growers launch new premium tomato and expansion plans

On Wednesday, May 17, at the Vergani-Navarra Institute,  Fri-El Green House presented Strabena, the De Ruiter midi cherry truss variety for which it holds exclusive cultivation and distribution rights on a national level. The variety is grown all year round under controlled conditions so that it is available…

Sakata's Piel de Sapo melon for greenhouses has been very well received in Almeria

Sakata has presented Don Gregorio, its first Piel de Sapo Melon for Greenhouse production, to farmers and marketers who were pleasantly surprised by this variety's flavor. “We have achieved our goal: to land in Almeria with a high-quality, excellent-tasting greenhouse melon that is no different from the…

Canadian greenhouses report record-breaking harvests

JC Fresh and Orangeline Farms, located in Ontario, Canada, report record-breaking harvests. JC Fresh Farms produces a record 315,700 pounds of grape/medley tomatoes. Orangeline Farms produces a record of over 14,000 cases of sweet snack peppers. Both companies are part of Betterment Harvest. The record-setting…

Solar cells that support greenhouse farming

How many times have we wondered if the time will ever come when we can grow crops in a greenhouse with a roof that is also capable of generating electricity? Science is making enormous leaps forward, and the solution finally seems very close.  Laboratory for photovoltaic cells - Enea Italy's Enea is working to…

20-hectare Senegal project includes greenhouses, packing house and supermarket

J. Huete Greenhouses has recently started the construction of a new global project in Senegal of 20 hectares which includes a supermarket where the fresh products will be made available to the local population. The aim of the Project is to produce fresh and first quality food and make them available to…

US (AK): Vertically farmed produce available at import prices to remote communities

"I launched this organization to improve food security in remote Alaskan communities using controlled environment agriculture. The goal is to improve accessibility, affordability, and quality," says Colin McIntosh, founder of the vertically farming non-profit Outpost Agriculture. Colin McIntosh Outpost…

"With pressure on food security, Indonesia's horticulture is developing in the right direction"

Indonesia's horticulture industry is an important sector for the country's economy, providing employment to a large number of people. It is a sector that has developed strongly in recent years. Gerrit Staal also saw this during a visit to the country this spring. "There will be increasing investment in…

Construction of Europe's largest agri-PV project starts at Dutch grower

GroenLeven has started constructing Europe's largest softfruit covering agri-PV project. When this unique project is complete, Dutch grower Maarten van Hoof, who cultivates raspberries, blackberries, currants, and asparagus, will have 24,206 solar panels protecting his raspberries. These panels will…

"It was particularly important to me that the technology was thought through to the end in every respect"

On March 28, the first local strawberries of the 'Sonsation' variety could already be harvested in the new 1.5-acre strawberry greenhouse of the Mann fruit farm in the Alte Land. Only a few months ago, just in time for the first planting date, a sustainable greenhouse could be put into operation. Owner…

Denmark: Autonomous mobile robot designed for indoor farming

“Vertical farming is moving towards an inflection point. From expensive and niche technology towards market leadership from both a commercial and sustainability standpoint. Our vision at Seasony is to make that inflection point come sooner – making vertical farms more scalable, profitable, and…

It is better to grow organic tomatoes to keep up with the times

Located just a few km from Scoglitti (RG), Amelia Gangarossa's company produces organic tomatoes for the fresh produce market. The soil and weather conditions of this area, favored by the proximity to the sea, are excellent for greenhouse cultivation. Amelia Gangarossa In an interview with the Sicilian…

Mastronardi Produce forms joint venture with Intergrow

Mastronardi Produce, a fourth-generation family-owned business that pioneered commercial greenhouse growing in North America, has announced a new expansion of its US network through a joint venture formed with Intergrow Greenhouses Inc. which will include the acquisition of Intergrow’s commercial…

Greenhouse grower sponsors men’s healthy eating guide

Windset Farms® places a high value on health and wellness and is proud to sponsor A Guy’s Guide to Eating Healthy, created by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF). The…

CAN (ON): Indoor farm integrates greenhouse technologies to maximize production

"Our ambition today is to reduce the investment required to deploy this technology and to design a simple and efficient indoor farm similar in cost to traditional greenhouse growing. Our decade of experience in urban agriculture has taught us the added value of providing an optimal growing environment…

Status of Almeria's greenhouse crops at the beginning of May

According to the latest State of the Crops report of the Agricultural and Fisheries Information Service of the Junta de Andalucía, during the first week of May, greenhouse…

EastFruit

Why invest in modern strawberry production in Georgia when Turkey is the neighbor?

EastFruit periodically publishes an analysis of the Georgian strawberry market, where local producers frequently comment about the price competition with Turkish strawberries and its negative effects on local production, at the same time, we observe the developments in the market, although big…

New basil variety helps indoor grower to differentiate

With basil being one of the most, if not the most, popular fresh herb that consumers want to cook with, one indoor grower is introducing a new basil product just in time for spring. Square Roots is launching a new seasonal fresh herb, Lemon Basil, which is available from May 15 to August 15. “We’re always…

Wimex Group/Bördegarten

"Climate-neutral waste heat from our neighbor heats the greenhouse in the transitional and winter periods"

Dr. Gunnar Schellenberger, president of the Saxony-Anhalt Landtag, has now seen for himself what sustainable production controlled by high-tech can achieve in one of the largest greenhouse facilities in Europe. He had followed an invitation from the Wimex Group, a company that produces vegetables and…

The differences between greenhouse growers in US and Canada

The differences between greenhouse produce growers in Canada and greenhouse operators in the U.S. are significant, according to Burk Metzger, General Manager of Produce at Prospiant. “A lack of strong operational experience, limited market access, and the absence of a suitable migrant labor program are…

Organic grower adds seed production to its portfolio

Wholesum, Fair Trade Certified growers and shippers of organic farm-fresh vegetables, is building in-house capabilities to produce organic seeds. “We envision a future where organic seeds and the resources to produce them are more widely available. We support investments in organic plant breeding and…

Nordic Greens

Denmark: "Regionally-grown vegetable sales increase by a few percent annually"

When Denmark joined the European Union in 1973, Nordic Greens - called Alfred Pedersen then - promptly planted tomatoes in its greenhouses. That was the country's first commercial tomato crop. "The company, founded in 1948, focused on growing cucumbers, but my father, for whom the company was named, was…

Greenhouse grower distributes eMagazine ‘The Power of a Greenhouse’

Pure Flavor® shares the power of greenhouse growing year-round in the brand's quarterly Live Deliciously® eMagazine. This 10th edition of the award-winning series, which in this edition, titled The Power of a Greenhouse, explores how the brand's advanced greenhouse tech enables them to grow fruits and…

Tomato cultivation in Andalusia has recovered more than in the rest of Spain

The Ministry of Agriculture recently shared the first analysis of the 2022/23 campaign of Spanish greenhouse vegetables, which shows an advance in production and interesting results. According to the report, the country has a total of 36,204 hectares of greenhouse vegetables for the 2022/23 campaign, i.e.,…

Status of Almeria's greenhouse crops at the end of April

According to the latest State of the Crops report published by the Agricultural and Fisheries Information Service of the Junta de Andalucía, corresponding to the week of April…

Replacing growers with AI: autonomous, low-cost strawberry farms

“We’re committed to making strawberry vertical farming accessible to a wider audience by investing in low-cost systems and R&D. This focus will enable more individuals and businesses to take advantage of the benefits of vertical farming and contribute to a more sustainable food production ecosystem,”…

"LIFE Farmitank vertical farming project starts crop demonstration trials"

"Parcitank's main production line is focused on the manufacture of stainless steel tanks, and we had the idea of using them to house a vertical farming system, with fully controlled conditions, that could help us optimize the production in the smallest possible acreage," said Cristian Nieves. "This is…

AMHPAC organizes symposium on agricultural social responsibility

For the fourth consecutive year, with more than 100 people participating, the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture (AMHPAC) has kicked off the Symposium on Agricultural Social Responsibility in the city of San Luis Potosí. The event was held April 27 and 28.  The event is being attended by owners,…

Greenhouse show hosted in Sicily

The 1st "Agro Expo" has ended. This two-day event dedicated to greenhouse cultivation in the Sicilian coastal area between Licata (AG) and Portopalo (SR) was organized in Scoglitti (RG) in the company owned by the Gangarossa family. Click here to see the photo report “We wanted to raise the interest around a sector that boasts great…

Sustainability - how agrivoltaic systems can be combined with greenhouses

Climate change, the necessary rationalization of renewable sources and, in general, a greater awareness of environmental issues are leading agriculture towards increasingly sustainable choices. For these reasons, the EU has prepared strategies - identified as the Green Deal - with the objective of…

Grading greenhouse vegetables requires special attention

Over the past few years, Futura srl has been receiving increasing requests for lines destined for the processing, grading and packaging of produce grown in traditional or hydroponic greenhouses, especially tomatoes, bell peppers and even cucumbers and aubergines. "We have already sold various units,…

How to reduce labour when tying up greenhouse plants

Lack of labour is a growing issue in greenhouse farming. Therefore, the rationalization of the workforce is becoming a necessity. In this field, the system Ideal Tutor, developed by SIA Sicilia Group, provides a way to tie up greenhouse plants, as the company says the binding can be done twice as fast. Alessandro…

"More Belgian greenhouse vegetable volumes since last week, but nicer weather would help sales"

Barry Michiels of Gebroeders Michiels wholesalers had to wait a bit, but the Belgian greenhouse vegetable season seems to be slowly getting started. "Things are going well. The season is already at least a month later than normal, but the larger volumes started coming in last week," he says. Gebroeders…

Strawberry greenhouse production in the southeast: Soil-less substrate research in NC

Austin Wrenn keeps his family farm growing in Zebulon (North Carolina) through innovative solutions and active research at NC State University. During his unique journey from student to president of the North Carolina Strawberry Association, Austin was grounded in his family's multi-generational farm,…

British Columbia greenhouse grower shows new products at CPMA 2023

This one is close to home. That's the feeling Windset Farms® has going into this week's CPMA show in Toronto on April 25-27. "Windset Farms is a B.C.-based, family-owned company that has been in the greenhouse industry for 27 years now," says Ryan Cherry, Windset Director of Sales. What started with four…

Ruff-Häring GbR Gemüsebau

"Our winter red radishes have established themselves well in both food retail and wholesale"

At the Ruff-Häring family of gardeners in the heart of Nuremberg's garlic country, this year's radish and red radish harvest has been in full swing for several weeks. "The greenhouse radish is now replaced by the first foil house goods. We started the radish harvest with a slight delay, but overall the…

Appalachian greenhouse grower packages green

The Appalachian area of western Virginia is not typically where you'd expect to find a 2.5-acre high-tech greenhouse commercially growing strawberries. Even more surprising is that this farmer on the edge of flyover country refused to package his berries in traditional plastic "clamshells." Instead, he's…

Oppy celebrates 20-year brand promise

Committing to a promise of service and selection 20 years ago, Oppy looks toward celebrating one of its most monumental milestones in Toronto while at CPMA: The inception of its tagline: expect the world from us. In the early 2000s, Oppy was growing quickly. Recognizing that as a previously family-owned…

Unveiling the Fifth Taste: Umami Bombs

Mastronardi Produce has revealed its latest product launch with the addition of Umami The Fifth Taste® to its award-winning line of snacking tomatoes on the vine. This…

CEA seed development program is vastly different from open field

The start of Sakata Seed’s CEA department a few years ago wasn’t intentional at the beginning. “We received a lot of requests from CEA growers who had access to our product through their distributors,” says Tracy Lee, who heads up the company’s CEA program. “They asked us what other products were…

Village Farms applies for medical cannabis cultivation license

Village Farms is applying for a license from the Texas Department of Public Safety to grow cannabis in a one-acre greenhouse at its Marfa location, in addition to existing tomato crops. If the application is successful, the company also plans to add a dispensary to the property. The move comes at a time…

Reading a tomato plant remotely

Have you ever walked through a greenhouse crop with a skilled grower who could intuitively "read" a plant as if the green leaves were lines on a page? This skill, which develops with time in the greenhouse, separates junior growers from head growers. The problem is that as greenhouses get bigger and the teams managing the crop…

Strawberry grower tackles whitefly preventively with special suction machine

In the greenhouses of strawberry grower Jong Fruit, a special suction machine helps control whitefly. "This is the first serious prototype. Now you can really see results," shares grower Rob van der Wouw in a video showing how the machine works. Right now, the strawberry grower from North Brabant,…

Israeli's fully automated basil growing extends shelf life up to 20 days

In the heart of the pastoral region of northern Israel lies a new agricultural initiative that attempts to transform Herbal Farming by bringing it one step closer to the future, a fully automated basil-growing greenhouse with limited human intervention that extends the shelf life up to 20 days. “My goal,…

“CEA is the future of farming”

Next week, the Canadian Produce Association (CPMA) will hold their annual convention and trade show in Toronto. Mucci Farms is looking forward to a great show. "CPMA holds a special place in our hearts since the event is basically in our backyard," says Joe Spano, Managing Partner at Mucci Farms. "While we take immense pride in…

Oppy celebrates 10 years with British Columbia pepper and cucumber grower

A decade into its thriving collaboration, Oppy celebrates its partnership with British Columbia-based greenhouse pepper and cucumber grower Randhawa Farms, owners of the Perpetual Vegetable Co. brand. The Randhawa family: Kan, Sonia, Ajay, Sharan, Kiren, Amit, and Vijay. "Over the past ten years, the…

Strong start for YOOM Black Cocktail Tomato production

As the season changes, supplies of the YOOM‍® Black Cocktail Tomato, which first debuted at the International Fresh Produce Association Trade Show in October 2022, are coming on. “The crop looks beautiful and is off to a great start with all the sunny days we’ve been having,” says Ryan Cherry, Director…

Weather extremes make capsicum and tomato growing challenging

Kapiris Bros' current growing season for gourmet and Roma tomatoes is taking place in Two Wells, South Australia, this typically runs from October right through to May, but they will most likely be harvesting until June this season. "Recently, in Two Wells, we have been adjusting our growth strategy to…

Norfolk firm harvests strawberries earlier than ever

A Norfolk fruit farm is making the earliest-ever start to its strawberry harvest - after investing £1.5m in a sustainable heating system. Place UK, based at Tunstead, near…

Energy crisis results: Fewer Dutch greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers in 2022

At 1.8 million tons, the gross greenhouse vegetable yields in the Netherlands were 7.9% lower in 2022 than a year before. The gross yield of greenhouse vegetables in the…

"Agrivoltaic systems are the future of greenhouses"

"With our twenty years of experience in the sector, we design and build greenhouses for agriculture as well as photovoltaic greenhouses. We aim at being a social driving force in a territory - that of Calabria - that is not yet ready to value its land, and therefore to benefit from its huge potential,"…

Record wet winter and planting delays will affect Californian tomatoes

For California's tomato crop, the delay in planting caused by this winter's record precipitation could have a nationwide ripple effect as the state grows more than 90% of all…

"Thanks to the earlier and longer season, we have German red radishes on offer for about ten and a half months"

The Palatinate - and thus also the "Gemüsegarten Pfalz" - is considered to be the largest contiguous cultivation area for open-air vegetables in Germany. Due to the favorable climate, flat fields with ideal soils for growing vegetables, and measures to bring the harvest forward, producers in the…

Mastronardi Produce responds to lawsuit from NatureSweet

NatureSweet® has filed a third lawsuit against Mastronardi Produce LTD and Mastronardi Produce-USA, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that Mastronardi is mimicking NatureSweet's licensed packaging. The company is defending the intellectual property of CHERUBS® and specifically refers to Mastronardi's Angel Sweet®…

Mucci Farms adds to executive leadership team

Mucci Farms welcomes Phil Johnson to the executive leadership team in the role of technical director of growing operations. With a career that spans over two decades on three…

Nido One V2, a new system for hydroponic management

The latest innovation when it comes to the automated management of fertigation in protected crops went on sale a few days ago. Nido One V2 is the updated version of a tested system that has been made more efficient and high performing. "Our automated management system is installed in only a few minutes:…

Evolution of Almeria's greenhouse 'plastic ocean' between 1984 and 2022

Google Earth has updated the Timelapse with new images that allow anyone to visualize, through an interactive map in four dimensions, the evolution of Almeria's greenhouse plastic ocean. Almeria is one of 300 locations that have been incorporated into the video library that has more than 800 accelerated…

Agriculture 4.0, technology and digital transition - the future is here

Making relatively inexpensive investments in order to rationalize natural and energy resources and grow in line with food safety principles, as well as automating facilities to make the technological and digital transition of production processes sustainable while also reducing labor requirements and…

KÖLLA Group

'Bottlenecks regarding Turkish California and Capia'

Overall, the bell pepper season in Almeria, Spain, is drawing to a close. In isolated cases, such as in the Berja area, located in the higher altitudes of Almeria, small quantities are still being produced. Red and yellow peppers may still be available until the end of April. This development can also be…

Challenges abound in Slovakian indoor farming, but this farm is doing it anyway

“We are the first hydroponic farm in Slovakia and the first farm with a low environmental footprint,” says Filip Toška, Founder and CEO of Hausnatura, a hydroponic farm in Bratislava, Slovakia. Filip Toška Hausnatura began as a small aquaponic project in a basement and has evolved to leave out the fish, focusing…

Foothill Greenhouses discusses their main cucumber variety

The latest video in Rijk Zwaan’s ‘The future is sky’ series features the Canadian grower, Foothill Greenhouses. In the video, the two companies discuss their partnership and Foothill’s experiences with its main cucumber variety for summer, Verdon RZ. Verdon RZ: CGMMV-resistant cucumber varietyIn the video,…

Essex-based fruit farm’s innovative strawberry growing system pays off

An Essex-based fruit farm has defied the odds to grow strawberries in challenging conditions, thanks to innovative farming practices and consistent, free-draining coir-growing media. Farm manager for Wilkin and Sons, which is behind the Tiptree preserves brand, Andrey Ivanov, was told that due to water…

Tornado disintegrates Ohio tomato greenhouse

Devastating images from Ohio show a high-tech tomato greenhouse collapsed due to an EF1 tornado, which occurred near Wapakoneta in Auglaize County, Ohio, during the early morning hours of April 1, 2023 "The first sign of visible damage associated with this tornado occurred on Owl Creek Road. The tornado…

What lies ahead for summer bell peppers?

Industry-wide, a lot remains up in the air as the summer bell pepper season approaches. So says Kevin Batt, category director of greenhouse for Oppy.   “Only time will tell what’s going to happen in California given the recent weather challenges there,” says Batt. Currently, the bulk of pepper volume is out of…

US (VA): Governor Youngkin announces new high-tech hydroponic growing operation in Louisa County

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Better Future Farms, Inc. will build a new innovative hydroponic greenhouse and processing facility on a 61-acre site in the Louisa County Industrial Air Park. The company recently secured funding through Generate Capital, a leading sustainable infrastructure…

Hardee Fresh closes $56 million for new ~30,000m2 vertical farm

X-Caliber Rural Capital announced the closing of a $56MM bridge loan for a Hardee Fresh vertical farming facility in Americus, Georgia. The new construction is expected to be complete by late 2024.  The new vertical farm will be entirely enclosed, with every part of the growing and packing process of its leafy…

“Very fine management is essential to continue with greenhouse production in the current energy context”

Le Jardin de Rabelais, a French greenhouse managed by Pascal Delahaye, produces tasty tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes on the vine. Working all year round, the producer is faced with a growing energy challenge that has been affecting the whole agricultural sector. "Energy is a big problem. Today, only…

The impact of cooler weather on western Mexico's vegetable crops

In 2023, cooler weather has been a trend amongst many growing regions in the produce industry. Taking a closer look at Mexico, colder temperatures in the northern and western parts of the country have delayed vegetable harvest for several categories, including bell peppers, mini peppers, cucumbers, as…

Hortidaily.com

UAE: Tapping into fruiting crops and adding new facilities throughout the MEASA region

Launched in 2017 with its inaugural farm operational in 2018, Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest) is a mission-driven, technology-enabled agribusiness, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, focused on the year-round, sustainable production of premium-quality fresh fruits and vegetables. Pure…

Germany: Consistent greenhouse strawberries over a long period of time

Since spring 2021, the strawberry variety 'Rendezvous' from the house of Hansabred can be found in cultivation. It is already successfully produced in the Rhineland as well as in southern Germany, but also in the entire federal region, as well as in Austria, Eastern Europe, and the Benelux countries in…

Bite-size cucumbers are in peak season now

Healthy snacks that taste good and are convenient continue to be in a strong uptrend. “Within the cucumber category, we have seen the snacking segment grow in all greenhouse cucumbers,” says Matt Quiring, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Nature Fresh Farms. In response to increasing…

"The point isn't to eliminate human labor, but to make the work easier for my employees”

The current world is being taken over by AI. The internet has been flooded with illustrations, and even videos created by AI. While some people are concerned that may cost them their job, growers are very much looking forward to the infamous autonomous growing. The road to that is getting shorter and…

A nursery producing 100 million plants a year

One of the leading vegetable nurseries in Emilia Romagna, Vivai Garattoni Umberto in San Mauro Pascoli, produces around 100 million plants every year. The main products are leaf vegetables, fennel, celery, and brassicas. There is also the organic division.  Technicians Carlo Valois, Cristian Magnani and Mirco…

Germany: Inspiring microgreens production in Munich and beyond

“Our experience has been that people are opening up more towards vertical farming. We haven’t had anyone say that it’s stupid to grow indoors, and we’ve been contacted by various people that are interested in building a farm with our help,” says Dr. Gernot Kleinberger, co-founder of the Munich-based…

EastFruit

Prices for tomatoes in Uzbekistan update records

Greenhouse tomato prices continue to break records –  the average wholesale price for red round tomatoes has increased by 29% over the past week, and current wholesale prices are almost two times higher than last year. Moreover, as a result of a sharp increase in their prices over the past week, the current…

Bild: Gemüsebau Seischab

Strongly fluctuating interest in greenhouse radish

As of this week, Gemüsebau Seischab from the German area known as 'Knoblauchsland' or 'garlic country' can harvest the first radish from its greenhouse. "We raise the product ourselves in Paper Pots and plant the seedlings in the greenhouses in week 1. Currently, radish is sold mainly at the wholesale…

"We must not be afraid to use ideas developed by other countries"

Numerous members of Confagricoltura Forlì-Cesena and Rimini attended the meeting promoted by Federazione Nazionale di Bieoconomia (National Bioeconomy Federation) with Israeli company Solar Gik. The event, in the presence of the Federation's president Alessandro Bettoni and vice-president Alberto…

Spain's largest single-module greenhouse

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…

Canadian grower celebrates Farmworker Awareness Week

Windset Farms® likes to do things for its farmworkers. The company regularly brings in food trucks for lunches and holds raffles and barbecues at its head office in Delta, British Columbia. However, the most beloved event it hosts is a multi-week soccer tournament that all farmworkers are invited to play…

A grower group connected by family

Family is a word often used around the produce industry these days, and for good reason. Many successful farm companies today come from families who have built their legacies over the years. In Mexico, Divine Flavor's grower group is no different, and each of the growers the company works with today has…

New project of gothic macro tunnels for strawberry cultivation in Spain

A new model of installation for strawberry cultivation called Berryfesta has been launched by the Spanish company J. Huete. The intention is to provide a new solution to the producers of this demanded fruit. These are gothic macro tunnels with a reinforced structure inspired by greenhouses that, at the…

Mass sales of strawberries began in Moldova

Large volumes of Greek strawberries have become available on the wholesale and retail markets of Moldova this week. The wholesale price is quite standard – 80 MDL/kg…

"Our goal is data-driven and sustainable strawberry production"

Crisp, fresh strawberries from local cultivation all year round: this is what the Witten-based start-up vGreens, founded in 2022, achieves thanks to sophisticated vertical farming technology. In the enclosed space of around 50m2, the popular red fruit grows and thrives in a vertical arrangement, on…

Dalat is growing into Southeast Asia's Almeria

Horticulture production in Vietnam is evolving in several ways, showing a steady development of Vietnam’s horticulture industry. Vietnamese company Fresh Studio is at the right crossroads of these developments. The company offers a combination of consulting services as well as the supply of horticulture…

The season of local tomatoes in Poland started a month late

Mass sales of tomatoes from local greenhouses have started on the Polish wholesale market this week. At the same time, the season of local greenhouse tomatoes this year began…

A growing nursery thanks to innovation

"To mechanize and automate also means to respect personnel," explains Fausto Marconi, founder of Marconi Vivai in Roverbella (Mantua), confirming his intention of innovating and automating operations to make them easier and less strenuous for employees. Fausto's work, which started over 50 years ago, is…

New Zealand cooperative buys Southern Paprika Limited

Driven by its plan to have a strong North Island hothouse presence, New Zealand growers co-operative Market Gardeners Limited (MG) has finalized the purchase of Warkworth-based greenhouse operation Southern Paprika Limited (SPL). The SPL business is now under full MG ownership and management. 27 hectareEstablished…

The evolution of the microgreens business

In an expanding space such as indoor and greenhouse growing, how do you make your company stand out? For City Roots Organic, it starts with the story. The company is a South Carolina-based family-owned business that specializes in one item: organic microgreens. "The microgreens market is increasing.…

Year-round eggplants from Sicilian specialists

The Melanzì brand was launched in 2016, originally for a line of products that included jams, competes, and other canned fruit and vegetable products. However, in 2020, the founders of the Sicilian cooperative Ortonatura reverted back to their early business years, over 30 years ago now, with the…

4th annual expanded CEA survey released

IUNU released its fourth State of CEA Survey. This survey will provide insights into emerging trends and challenges in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry.…

New Spanish propagation greenhouse inaugurated

Carmen Crespo, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, inaugurated the new propagation greenhouse of the Spanish cooperation Campoejido in Dalias together with Francisco Lirola, the mayor of Dalias, and Cristobal Martin, the president of this Andalusian cooperative society.…

Havelia GmbH

"Before installing LEDs, we also want to see how the energy crisis is dealt with"

In Wollup, Germany, near the border with Poland, tomatoes in all possible varieties have been growing and thriving since 2009. The greenhouse facility in question is managed by Havelia Ltd., a sister company of Werder Frucht Ltd., which markets Havelia's produce exclusively as a contract marketer for EO…

Advanced agrivoltaic systems featuring semi-transparent solar panels for all kinds of crops

It is a well-known fact that agrivoltaic systems are a new solar energy production system that enables the cultivation of produce under structures up to 5 meters tall. Advanced agrivoltaics enables instead to meet two additional needs: protecting plants from the weather (hail, drought, heavy rain) and reducing water consumption…

Producers are extending the production period of long-cycle tomatoes in the greenhouses of the Nijar area

According to the latest State of the Crops report of the Junta de Andalucía, corresponding to the week of March 6 to 12, cultivation tasks in the pepper greenhouses of the…

New tropical mini pepper launched

Windset Farms® introduces SONATA™ Tropical Mini Peppers, the newest addition to the Windset Farms family. The SONATA Tropical Mini Peppers are a Tatayoyo® Mini Pepper variety with a deep orange color, adding brightness and warmth to dishes. With few seeds and sized between a blocky and snack pepper, they…

Equinix showcases new rooftop farm on one of its data centers

Equinix has revealed a new rooftop farm on one of its data centers in France. The facility makes use of waste energy from the data center to power. It is located in the…

Development of fully automated harvesting and transportation robots with AI

A system of robots that harvest and transport crops on their own without human assistance has been developed for use in agricultural facilities such as smart farms. The research team under Choi Tae-yong, principal researcher at the AI Robot Research Division’s Department of Robotics and Mechatronics of…

Competition from Central European greenhouse vegetable products will gain force in March

In week 9, corresponding to the period between February 27 and March 3, 2023, the price of the main greenhouse products continued to be high for this time of year. However, as…

Organic grower introduces Italian sweet peppers

Wholesum, Fair Trade Certified grower and shipper of organic vegetables, introduces new Italian sweet peppers, Dolci Belles. This new offering is part of the company's strategy to focus on organic greenhouse-grown varieties that bring an upgraded, flavorful experience to the consumer.   While traditional peppers have…

New Florida & Colorado grown greenhouse lettuce line launched

Mastronardi Produce is launching a new locally-grown greenhouse lettuce line under its Backyard Farms® brand that will support growers in Florida and Colorado. The company recently partnered with two family-owned lettuce greenhouses that were serving local markets but facing challenges. One grower –…

New slicing tomato on the market

Sound Agriculture has launched the Summer Swell tomato, a new slicing tomato variety. The variety is grown using On-Demand Breeding, a non-GMO process that uses epigenetics to develop plant traits ten times faster than current methods. For Summer Swell, this means increased durability and improved flavor. Summer Swell went from…

“This is a facility to showcase our iyris roof technology which blocks heat while letting light in"

RedSea, an AgTech company whose technology enables commercial farming in hot environments, announced earlier this month the commissioning and start of operations at its greenhouse facility in Abu Dhabi. The greenhouse will be a first in the United Arab Emirates and will help diversify food product…

How will the vertical farming model develop?

Between now and 2050, the world will have to feed 10 billion people. However, food doesn’t grow efficiently all over the world, and the same holds true for distribution. As a result, growers have been looking at different ways to be able to grow food more efficiently and closer to consumer areas. In…

CAN: Why is this year’s market better for Long English cucumbers?

It's quite a different situation for Long English cucumbers this year. "Last year was a tough year for the cucumber crop. Not in terms of quality, but we just had a flooded market," says Jeff Richardson of Great Lakes Greenhouses Inc. The reason? The brown rugose fruit virus which affects tomatoes. Some…

Quebec greenhouse grower rebrands into Cultures Gen V

A multigenerational family business in Quebec, known for the Mirabel and VÔG brands, is introducing a new direction as Cultures Gen V Inc., unifying all its brands under the new Gen V banner. With this name change and a new visual identity, the company, which operates four greenhouse complexes in Quebec…

An Italian innovative system for managing hydroponic crops

"Our automated management system can be installed in only a few minutes by simply drilling two holes in the nutrient solution tank to upgrade the greenhouse to become automated and interconnected. Our system stands out for its simplicity, efficiency, and low costs compared to any other technology on the…

Zhanggezhuang cherries are emblematic of China’s rural revitalization

Zhang Huichen, a cherry farmer in Zhanggezhuang township in East China's Shandong Province, owns about ten cherry greenhouses, equivalent to approximately 20 km2 of cherry…

Increasing demand for plastic ducts for soilless cultivation

"The sales of our plastic ducts for soilless cultivation are on the up, both in Italy and abroad in countries such as Morocco, France, Spain, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the high quality of our products and our skilled team, we have strengthened our position on the domestic market over the last…

CAN: High-tech glass greenhouse to supply the community with organic vegetables

Growers David Théorêt and Marie-Pierre Gauthier got hooked on farming after they started doing so to show their 5 children where the products they ate, came from. Ever since, have made it their mission to be not only self-sufficient but also to benefit the community, resulting in their organic farm Le…

French seed breeder dedicating a department to vertical farming

“We are announcing a new division of Voltz Maraîchage, dedicated to vertical farming customers: Voltz Vertical Farming. We have established selection criteria with our customers and developed a specific range of seeds based on those criteria,” says Solène Voltz, the team manager. Voltz Maraîchage has…

AU: Centuria secures a 20ha tomato glasshouse

Centuria has secured a 20-hectare tomato glasshouse facility in Guyra NSW on behalf of its unlisted pure-play, Centuria Agriculture Fund (CAF), from a family-owned investment office. The transaction is CAF’s third off-market glasshouse acquisition taking the total size of its glasshouses under management…

Pipp Horticulture acquires Grow Glide assets

This acquisition solidifies Pipp’s position as a leading provider of Indoor Commercial Mobile Vertical Grow Racks, Greenhouse Structures, and Air Circulation Systems in North America. Over the past six years, Pipp Horticulture has emerged as a leading provider of indoor mobile vertical racking & in-rack…

Don’t give up, just do it: Building rooftop greenhouse in Ukraine during the wartime

A fully equipped rooftop greenhouse was recently commissioned by the Perspekta Group team in the Kyiv area, Ukraine. It took almost two months of building, in cold winter weather while missile attacks zoomed overhead, for the project to be done. “Building greenhouses during wartime requires courage and determination,”…

Bad weather in early February heavily damaged greenhouses in Sicily

The effects of the cyclone that hit Sicily on February 8-9 will not be forgotten soon. The company owned by Daniele Carnemolla owns 13 thousand sq m in Scicli (RG), plus another 10 thousand square meters further away. Greenhouses in Scicli (RG) a few hours after the cyclone  "It was right here that an artificial…

Ribbon cut on new vertical farming facility in British Columbia

After nearly a decade of researching and developing the latest technology to grow crops at 350 times the yield of conventional field-grown greens, UP Vertical Farms™ has launched its inaugural facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, alongside its sales and marketing partner Oppy. UP Vertical Farms…

Week-long Snackathon celebrates National Snack Day

Pure Flavor® launched a week-long campaign leading up to National Snack Day on Saturday, March 4th. The brand kicked off its content campaign on February 27th, with everything wrapping up at SEPC’s Southern Exposure Trade show, where the brand’s greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables will be on display.…

US: Indoor grower adds four new regional salad greenhouse hubs

BrightFarms is expanding with four new regional greenhouse hubs offering sustainably grown leafy greens to more people across the Eastern and Central U.S. The new locations will begin shipping to retailers in 2024. "This expansion is expected to set BrightFarms up for 10x revenue growth", the company…

Growing a mix of lettuce, lettuce leaves, and young leafy greens

Lettuce heads are losing popularity and are being ousted by green and colorful, loose-leaf mixes. Add to that open-field lettuce and leafy crops being under pressure from climate change, labor shortages, the desire for clean food-safe cultivation, and planned continuous supply. Then it becomes evident…

Rijk Zwaan partners up with Greenhouse Sisters for Carapaz RZ

In the latest video in ‘The future is sky’ series, Rijk Zwaan highlights its partnership with Greenhouse Sisters for Carapaz RZ, Rijk Zwaan’s labor-friendly and powdery mildew-resistant cucumber variety. Martin de Hoog, a cucumber grower at Greenhouse Sisters, explains the intensive collaboration with…

Irish growers claim only domestic support and fair pricing will keep them going

Over the last twelve months, several Irish veg growers — both on a large and smaller scale — have stated that year would be their last harvest as prices paid failed to keep up…

Greenhouse grown strawberry tomatoes make their debut

Although it is still winter in Ontario, Canada, greenhouse production of different varieties of tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, and strawberries remains consistent. With the help of grow lights, greenhouse-grown produce is increasingly available close to 12 months of the year. “We have the…