The biggest challenge for the growers is the high labour costs. It is legally impossible to hire seasonal workers in Iceland. Flexibility in the labour market is almost non-existent, which means no temporary employees can be hired during the harvest. The labour market is also tight. Now that the economy is pulling up again the unemployment has dropped quickly to almost zero. Various growers have therefore sought employees across the border, mainly in Poland and the Baltic States. It’s legally impossible to work with flexi employees, paying pickers per kilo is also forbidden. This is a problem that a lot of growers are struggling with,
Raising air humidity
Lettuce cultivation company Hveratun can be found in Laugaras. Various types of lettuce are grown here on hydro cultures. The air humidity in Iceland is generally low, which is why the grower sprays a mist in the greenhouse. “It was a challenge to get that right, without the mist the lettuce leaves get dry edges,” explains Gunnlaugur. Rucola is becoming increasingly popular in Iceland. There is also a small area of parsley. The parsley is in a mix of Icelandic and Finnish soil. Part of the products are cut and packaged on the spot, a machine line from China was imported for this.
Closed irrigation system
Helgi Jakobsson and Hildur Ósk Sigurðardóttir grow cucumbers all year round on 3800 square metres. The production is 600-700 tonnes per year. The cultivation is partially lit. In the winter months the lights are on 20 hours per day, less in the summer months. The cucumbers are in a volcanic rock substrate. “The water they use here really makes the difference, the Icelandic cucumber is the tastiest,” says Gunnlaugur. The greenhouses are fitted with a closed irrigation system in which no waste water is discharged. After purification new fertilisers are added to the water to then flow along the roots of the cucumber plants.
Strawberries, cherries, raspberries and blackberries
It started more as a test in which cherries trees were planted on 350 square metres at cultivation company Kvistar, which was originally a tree nursery. The trees are now fully grown and there is a yield of around 10 kilo per square metre. “The flavour of the cherries is fantastic,” according to grower Hólmfríður Geirsdóttir. The island has one other cherry grower with 50 square metres. Besides the greenhouse with cherries there are also various tunnels with strawberries.
White mushrooms
Finally, we visit the only mushroom grower on the island; Fludasveppir. The company started in 1984 and harvested 500 kilos per week then. This was seen as a good harvest, now much more is harvested per week. The total size of the mushroom market is estimated at 600 to 700 tonnes per year. Of this 500 to 600 tonnes are grown at Fludasveppir. The share on import is necessary to have competition on the market. The mushroom cultivation has a lot of potential in Iceland. What stands out is that mainly white mushrooms are grown. Only 10 per cent of cultivation consists of chestnut mushrooms and portabellas.
