The Chinese retail group JD.com has signed a strategic alliance with the Japanese chemicals subsidiary Mitsubishi to start up the largest hydroponic plant factory in China, in the city of Tongzhou.
The facilities have 11,040 squared meters, a hydroponic cultivation system with sunlight and a closed environment that uses artificial light. Currently, it can produce spinach, cabbage, red and green lettuce, and cilantro, among other vegetables.
All the crops implemented in this factory are monitored from the moment they are sown until they are delivered. The temperature, humidity, light, and liquid fertilizers are automatically controlled by a management system, which allows achieving a more standardized production of high quality vegetables without the obstacle of seasonal changes.
"For example, the spinach produced in the facility contains 80% more folate, 32% more vitamin C, 25% more potassium and 37% more phosphorus than if it were grown in the field," a spokesperson from JD stated. In addition, the crops don't require pesticides and agrochemicals, thus reducing the need for washing.
The new factory can produce more vegetables than traditional agricultural systems. For example, producers can obtain 19 shipments of spinach a year, compared to the four cargoes achieved in the field or six in a greenhouse.
Moreover, any given vegetable being grown in the factory only requires half a liter of water to grow, and the factory is integrated into JD's cold chain logistics network, so the vegetables can be sent to the consumer's table on the same day in which they are harvested.
"The JD plant factory in Tongzhou is the entry of JD into the fresh food production chain, which allows us to ensure that the products we sell have been treated with the care that JD applies to everything we do," stated the JD's Consumer Goods and Foods president, Xiaosong Wang.
