The nondescript building on an industrial site near Kyoto gave little hint to the productivity inside: 30,000 heads of lettuce grow inside daily, under artificial light and with barely any human intervention.
This “vegetable factory,” using the latest vertical farming techniques, is part of a trend born out of necessity in Japan, where traditional farming faces a double threat from the aging population and migration toward cities.
With the average age of a farmer in Japan at 67 and few candidates to replace those dying out, the country has been forced to become a pioneer in so-called vertical farming.
Photo: AFP
Globally renowned firms such as Panasonic Corp, Toshiba Corp and Fujitsu Ltd have tried their hand — converting old semiconductor production lines with varying levels of success.
One of the few companies to turn a quick profit, Spread Co Ltd produces 11 million heads of lettuce annually from its latest factory in Kyoto, a vast sterile area where the vegetables are stacked on shelves several meters high.
Machines shift the lettuces around the factory to areas where the light, temperature and humidity are ideal for that stage of growth. The process works without soil or pesticides, and only a dozen or so humans are employed to collect the lettuce at the end.
Other countries have employed vertical farming techniques — notably Denmark and the US — but Japan’s population crisis means that farmers are dying out, with question marks over how the world’s third-biggest economy will feed itself.
“Given the lack of manpower and decline in agricultural production, I felt a new system was needed,” Spread CEO Shinji Inada told reporters.
Spread has taken some time to make the process nearly fully automated: An older factory in Kyoto still employs several dozen humans to move the lettuce — a “difficult task,” one staff member said.
However, the advantages are clear.
“We can produce in large quantities and at a stable rate all year round, without being affected by temperature changes,” Inada said.
“The other benefit is that we have few losses, because our products are preserved for longer,” the vegetable tycoon added.
The firm initially experienced some difficulty in selling the lettuce, Inada said, but added that it has now grown a good brand by producing consistent quality at a consistent price — in a country where prices vary considerably depending on the season.
Spread’s lettuce is found on supermarket shelves in Kyoto and the capital, Tokyo, and Inada has grand expansion visions to move production closer to where the vegetables are consumed.
The firm is building a factory in Narita near Tokyo and is eyeing further afield to countries where the climate is not suited for such agriculture.
“We can easily export our production system to very warm or very cold climates to grow lettuce,” Inada said.
However, is this system environmentally friendly?
Inada said that he hesitated before launching the concept over this very question, but finally reasoned the pros outweighed the cons.
“It’s true that we use more energy compared to production using the sun, but on the other hand our productivity is higher over a similar surface area,” he said.
The system allows the firm to produce eight crops of lettuce per year, irrespective of the season. Spread also uses significantly less water than traditional agricultural methods.
“I believe we are contributing to a sustainable agriculture for our society,” Inada said.
Japan already has about 200 lettuce factories using artificial light, the majority of which are small-scale, but specialist consultancy group Innoplex LLC said that such factories would double in number by 2025.
Other companies are jumping on the smart agriculture bandwagon, with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co Inc building a factory in northeastern Fukushima that is to produce 32,000 heads of lettuce daily.
Nor is it just lettuce: tomatoes and strawberries grown by computer under artificial light are on their way to a table near you.
Three experts in the high technology industry have said that US President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose higher tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors is part of an effort to force Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to the negotiating table. In a speech to Republicans on Jan. 27, Trump said he intends to impose tariffs on Taiwan to bring chip production to the US. “The incentive is going to be they’re not going to want to pay a 25, 50 or even a 100 percent tax,” he said. Darson Chiu (邱達生), an economics professor at Taichung-based Tunghai University and director-general of
‘LEGACY CHIPS’: Chinese companies have dramatically increased mature chip production capacity, but the West’s drive for secure supply chains offers a lifeline for Taiwan When Powerchip Technology Corp (力晶科技) entered a deal with the eastern Chinese city of Hefei in 2015 to set up a new chip foundry, it hoped the move would help provide better access to the promising Chinese market. However, nine years later, that Chinese foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor Corp (合晶集成), has become one of its biggest rivals in the legacy chip space, leveraging steep discounts after Beijing’s localization call forced Powerchip to give up the once-lucrative business making integrated circuits for Chinese flat panels. Nexchip is among Chinese foundries quickly winning market share in the crucial US$56.3 billion industry of so-called legacy
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday held its first board of directors meeting in the US, at which it did not unveil any new US investments despite mounting tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, prompting market speculation that TSMC might consider boosting its chip capacity in the US or ramping up production of advanced chips such as those using a 2-nanometer technology process at its Arizona fabs ahead of schedule. Speculation also swirled that the chipmaker might consider building its own advanced packaging capacity in the US as part
A move by US President Donald Trump to slap a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports is expected to place Taiwan-made steel, which already has a 25 percent tariff, on an equal footing, the Taiwan Steel & Iron Industries Association said yesterday. Speaking with CNA, association chairman Hwang Chien-chih (黃建智) said such an equal footing is expected to boost Taiwan’s competitive edge against other countries in the US market, describing the tariffs as "positive" for Taiwanese steel exporters. On Monday, Trump signed two executive orders imposing the new metal tariffs on imported steel and aluminum with no exceptions and exemptions, effective