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Sumitomo Chemical, AVA to start full-scale rooftop farming test cultivation
Aug. 18, 2017
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Japan
As part of the urban farming development project which is currently underway jointly with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), Sumitomo Chemical will begin full-scale test cultivation of farm produce on the rooftop of AVA's research facility this month.
Under the project, AVA and Sumitomo Chemical have been working closely to develop a model for urban farming on rooftops of buildings, based on Japan's proprietary technology, against the backdrop of AVA promoting urban farming to enhance food supply resilience given the limited availability of land in Singapore, and Sumitomo Chemical accelerating agriculture-related business development extensively and globally.
The test cultivation started initially with greenhouses on the ground in 2015, where it was examined whether a technology already commercialized in Japan could be adopted in the tropical climate of Singapore, specifically a hydroponic system of Kaneko Seeds Co., another participant in the project. As the test proved favorable, it has been decided that test cultivation should be launched on a fuller scale in a greenhouse newly built on the rooftop of AVA’s post-harvest technology centre, thus taking steps forward towards yielding farm produce with higher productivity and better quality. In the original greenhouses on the ground, test cultivation will continue mainly in an attempt to grow leafy vegetables with a wider variety of produce.
Receiving continued support from the Ministry of National Development of Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board, Sumitomo Chemical will continue to assume overall responsibility for overseeing the entire project in coordination with Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, which engages in the day-to-day operation of the project in Singapore. Other participating entities in the project include Kaneko Seeds from Japan, and AVA and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, a higher education institution, from Singapore.
Sumitomo Chemical will look into further specifics for the project, including a produce distribution system to be established and thereby establish a model for sustainable urban farming by 2018 or so, as an operational platform based on which the Company will expand the urban farming business in Asia and elsewhere in the world.
Outline of Hydroponic Facilities
Location: Rooftop of Post-Harvest Technology Centre, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
Site area: 265 square meters
Facilities: Greenhouse, a hydroponic system (control equipment, five hydroponic beds)
Roles of Project Participants
Sumitomo Chemical: Overall management of the project
Sumitomo Chemical Asia: Project operation and test cultivation
Kaneko Seeds: Hydroponic system setup, cultivation technology support and supply of seeds
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore: Test cultivation and provision of site
Ngee Ann Polytechnic: Technical consultation about test cultivation
Source: Sumitomo Chemical news release
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