THECOMMERCIALGREENHOUSEGROWER
•
FEBRUARY 2017
18
•
T
ECHNOLOGY
B
link
and you have
missed it. The
glasshouse sector is
changing so rapidly that for
every new structure built there
is at least one newpiece of
technology being installed
that growers hopewill make
that vital difference as they
strive for perfection in the
production of their crops,
fuelledby an ever demanding
retail sector.
“As long as big retailers
dominate the supply chain
and exert pressure on unit
costs, the trend towardsmore
cost effective operations
which benefit from economies
of scalewill continue,” says
IanMetcalfe, Director at CMW
Horticulture. “Planning has
been a serious issue for quite
some time, and that won’t
change any time soon, so the
industrywill need to have a
united front through theNFU
andother grower bodies to
overcome objections as they
arise. Demand for the
producewill be there in any
case, so it’s ultimately up to
the consumer todecide
whether they prefer locally
grown or importedproduce.
The sector needs to have the
consumer on its side. It’s likely
thatmore nichemarkets
outside the supermarket
distribution chainwill develop.
On thewhole, thesewill be
smaller scale andmore in
keepingwith the traditional
family businessmodel,
supplying specialist products
to local outlets, farmers
markets and the catering
industry,” he adds.
He says labour, energy and
foodqualitywill be the ‘main
drivers’ for development in
the sector. “The increased
need for growers to create a
competitive advantagemeans
that very excitingprojectswith
radical technologywill
continue in the future,” says
MrMetcalfe.
“Skilled and unskilled Labour
will become evermore scarce
and expensive, especially if
the industry is unable to
negotiate satisfactory
temporarymigrant labour
post Brexit. But even so,
there is great scope for the
deployment of robotics to
take care of themore arduous
unskilledmanual tasks, so
more developments like the
awardwinningPriva
Kompanodeleafing robot are
certain to come along,” he
says. “The need tomanage
labourmore efficiently, comply
with theWorking Time
Directive andquality audit
requirements, especially on
large scale operations, has
led to the development and
increasingdemand for
sophisticateddigital labour
registration and reporting
systems likePriva FS
A new era in greenhouse technology
Glasshouse technology is advancing at a fast pace in theUK and the industry will soon
have to findways of accepting new products and concepts reports Adrian Tatum.
GrowUp’sLondonbased vertical farmunit developedby
CambridgeHOK.
Priva’sTopCropMonitorprovides continuous insight into
crop activity.
