Australian grower Flavorite is already Australia's largest greenhouse grower, but they aren't stopping at 64 hectares. This summer, it was announced that another 12 hectares are being added. A good reason for ABC News to visit the growers is to make a 15-minute video item in which the growers explain why growing in the greenhouse is so important to them. The growers plan to fully plant the newest greenhouse in July 2023.
This summer, the construction of a new 6-hectare greenhouse was completed with the planting of tomatoes.
Outdoor cultivation replaced
In a recent interview, grower Mike Nichol told us that Australia still relies largely on outdoor crops. Across the board, growers still see growth opportunities.
"This is largely caused by outdoor growers who have planted less due to increased costs, but also due to labor shortages. Many growers are, therefore, cautious and have reduced field crops. We saw this in the winter, which resulted in much less produce available in the market. With our expansion, we want to meet that open demand, compensate for missing produce, and increase food security in Australia."
One challenge in the greenhouse is pollination. In Australia, greenhouse growers cannot rely on bees and bumblebees. Therefore, they use techniques to pollinate automatically. Previously, this was done manually.
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