1. Glasshouse Growing – technology & system production
Challenges of:
Glasshouse Growing – technology & system production

2. Company Introduction
Third generation family run business, specialising in the production and supply of UK salad produce.
Marketing over 40 hectares of UK glasshouse production
Glasshouse production typically produces fruit between March and October
The pack house operates daily year round. Our winter sources are in Spain, the Canary Islands and Israel.

3. Marketplace Overview
Farms / nurseries are predominantly; privately owned, often by second or third generation family members
The market is dominated by large marketing organisations specialising in a focussed growing practices and sub areas of these.
Arable crops
Orchard production of top fruit
Vegetable open field production
Semi-Protected growing of Soft Fruit
Protected Edibles
The average industry profit margin is now 1% *
Survival is driven by consolidation and high volumes
*source Plimsoll

4. Total Produce Overview
Total Fresh Produce market farm gate value is over £2 trillion *
Of this home production protected edibles equate for around £350m
Total Fresh produce market has stabilised around 9.3 million tonnes *
Vegetables including protected edibles equate for 4.8 million tonnes
Fruit equates for 4.5 million tonnes
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
% Home Production
58%
51%
39%
37%
2nd week of May
*source DEFRA 2016 Horticulture Statistics

5. Protected Edibles - Salad
Total Area has fallen from a 1990 peak of almost 300 hectares to under 1000 hectares
Recent investments have stabilised the growing area
Main causes:
Competition for land with the housing industry
Lack of inflation to returns
Increased demand for alternate crops
Total Productivity per hectare has increased 330%
1985 low 126 tonnes / hectare
2016 high 416 tonnes / hectare
The only crop with increased area is peppers
This crop has now moved from ‘exotic’ to ‘commodity’ resultant in a return price which is unsustainable and likely to lead to a decline

6. Protected Edibles - Salad
Key crop productivity increases
Tomatoes 8%
Cucumbers 32%
Lettuce 68%
Sweet Peppers 16%
Increased production achieved through
Investment in infrastructure
Investment in energy modules
New growing techniques
Higher yielding varieties
Higher yields with longer shelf lives have resulted in less flavour and lower nutritional value
All crops have slowed to <6% yield increases
Remaining increases coming from site modernisation
Variety improvements appear to have peaked

7. Contextualising the market
Reduction in production areas are the result of:
Falling Revenues per sales unit
Increased competition for land from housing market
Competition from imports
Key markets The Netherlands and Spain where both are heavily subsidised from the European Union and National Banks
Increased legislation
High input costs both new start ups and at the start of each season
Long hours for diminishing reward
Labour availability and cost
There are now two types of modern greenhouse business:
Low / Low
High / High

8. What does a modern business look like?
Low Cost Low Production
High Cost High Production
Glass size and type
Heating System
CO2 options
Staffing
Onward fruit handling
Advantages
Disadvantages
Older glasshouses (typically inherited)
New glasshouse (typical externally financed)
Basic gas boiler system
Modern CHP and/or renewable energy
CO2 produced from energy generation centre and reserve boiler
CO2 taken from boiler flue gas
Small area requiring less staff often family members
Large areas demanding high volumes of skilled labour
Sent to marketing organisation
Self graded / marketed
Low overheads
High Control – all areas of business
No pressure to produce at a financial loss
Economies of scale
Longer Seasons
More crop options
Low volumes
Less crop options
Difficult to re-invest to move to ‘next level’
High overheads
Less focus
Low yielding season = higher economic impact

9. What does a modern business look like?
Solar Panels
Grading and Packing facilities
Glasshouse
5-7m
Thermal screens
Water collection
Drip irrigation
Automated fruit transportation
Lighting
Irrigation and water recycling centre
Energy Centre
CHP
Biomass
Boiler
Anaerobic Digestion
Heat exchange Pumps
Reservoir

10. What does a modern business look like?
Flood bench system
Gutter system
Lighting
Heat and water storage

11. What does a modern business look like?
- Top left and centre – ‘Umbrella style’ cucumber crops
- Top right – early season tomato crops
- Bottom left – peppers 1 week after ‘planting’

12. Biggest Challenges & opportunities
Energy Pricing
Staff Availability & cost
Value in the market place
Space for production
Transportation costs
Carbon Footprint
Renewable energy / Energy storage technologies
Robotics
New products / Niche varieties / GM Fruit
Innovative growing technics
Inner City production
Carbon capture and storage / Waste utilisation
Our Goal = Commercial sustainable Carbon Negative Production

13. What Can EPIC do for us? Considerations
Can the solution be applied to both modern and old facilities
What would you suggest if we started again
Is there an opportunity for cross functional solutions
Areas of discussion for this afternoon:
Labour efficiency – Robotics
Harvesting / crop work
Time management
Pest & Disease scouting / Solution application
Input management – Sensors & Networks
Local area root zone management
Localising humidity and temperature management to reduce energy use
Improved CO2 capture, application and use
Plant Performance & Productivity
Improved nutrient absorption
Productivity with lower inputs
Increasing nutrition without reducing yield, disease resistance and shelf life

14. The Future of Protected Growing

15. Thank You For Listening
Abbey View welcome project opportunities and work experience requests – please contact the team directly through: