Kalera, a sustainable indoor vertical farming company based in Orlando, Florida USA, has recently finalised phase one of construction at the Changi Logistics Centre, Singapore with the completion of the core structure for the fully automated farm
Kalers said the multi-layer vertical farm will allow crops to grow throughout the year in any climate, in a controlled environment that mitigates the risk of pathogens and maximises taste and texture appeal.
Henner Schwarz, chief commercial officer at Kalera said, “The new indoor farm will change consumption of locally-grown and harvested greens in Singapore as we know it. We’ll be producing 500,000 kilograms of greens each year, which can be harvested right before consumption, resulting in higher nutritional value, less food waste and reduced CO2 emissions. We’re expecting the first harvest in the third quarter.”
“The new farm will offer holistic support to Singapore’s long-term food security plan, which gained added significance during the COVID-19 pandemic. By changing the way food is grown and eaten, our Singapore farm, paired with our research and development centre, will continue to drive the global urban farming revolution,” said Kerstin Köhler, country manager Singapore, at Kalera.
According to the company, the initiative was made possible through the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) 30 x 30 Express Grant, which supports the local agri-industry to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. The grant will help to ramp up local production of leafy vegetables through Kalera’s patented ‘Dryponics’ cultivation method which keeps the plants alive with roots intact and allows consumers to harvest the plants just before consumption for better-tasting greens.
“In our 50-foot-tall indoor farm we use a fully automated advanced farming system that covers the seeding to harvesting process, has full climate control, and enables compact, modular and high-quality plant growth,” Köhler added.
