19 harvests per year: an innovative farm was opened in Beijing

A giant farm with an area of 11 thousand square meters was opened in Beijing. The owners plan to grow hundreds of tons of greens and vegetables each year. The products will be sold at JD.com online stores, writes “Agro-Center”.

The new hydroponic farm belongs to the Chinese corporation JD.com. The cost of investment in the project is estimated at $ 3.56 million. The first plants – lettuce and five other kinds of greens – were planted on the farm.

The farm works with hydroponics technology. Plants do not need soil and sunlight. Their roots are immersed in a solution of nutrients, and the light exposure is regulated by LEDs of different colors. Intelligent sensors adjust the temperature and humidity indoors. The first harvest will be ready in five weeks and sold at JD.com. During the first year, the company expects to grow 19 harvests.

The Chinese example shows that vertical farms are a good solution for countries with a high level of arable land contamination. In 2014, one citizen in China had 0.08 hectares of land. This indicator is much higher in Canada (1.29 hectares) and in the world (0.20).