Chris Fung, Wiley’s Technical Service Director is currently attending Indoor Ag Con Asia in Singapore to gain a stronger understanding of the indoor farming industry landscape. Connecting with leaders and specialists in this field, Chris shares the last of his first day’s learnings with us:
Simplicity of approach and proven growing methods are key
Professor Changhoo Chun from Seoul National University presented late Monday. His original studies and PHD efforts were under Dr Kozai from Chiba University who presented earlier in the day.
Dr Chun consults to a number of organisations operating Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting (PFAL) and helps them to find ways to become financially viable. He has extensive and fundamental knowledge in this technology, and maintains a high focus on the commercial viability and shares his “Golden Rules” for a financially successful PFAL.
Key themes, a.k.a Golden Rules, for installing a financially successful PFAL?
- Simplicity in growth patterns
- Select crops with short periods to produce (seed to harvest)
- Local production and local consumption
- Align cropping to seasonal demand
- Understand price points and customer base before commencing
Dr Chun supports for a number of agtech startup companies in Korea and some of his prior students have gone on to create their own successful technologies.
He understands the importance of innovation in this technology and the absolute criticality of SIMPLICITY in your approach. You can grow products in a PFAL following highly controlled, efficient and understood growing models.
The audience curiosity has been focused on the following questions:
- Is this technology economically viable?
- Who are the businesses that are successfully generating positive cashflow from their PFAL operation?
- What are the hard numbers that demonstrate the commercial attractiveness for investment?
LET THERE BE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT – in Australia…
Australia is an immature market for PFAL grown products. It is largely confined to boutique growers and cottage industry players.
As an industry we will need to educate our ultimate customers, ahead of large scale production. Price sensitivity to these foods needs to be lowered through education.
Wiley is working with industry partners to help increase PFAL knowledge and raise awareness in Australia.
Wiley attends events like Indoor Ag Con Asia to grow our knowledge and maintain our position at the forefront of food technologies. We love sharing that knowledge with our network to help us all reach peak performance and help ensure our global food security into the future.
Stay tuned for the Day Two at Indoor Ag Con Asia instalment.
Connect with Wiley’s Chris Fung, Brendan Kerr and CK Choo who are in attendance on LinkedIn for additional updates and industry news.
We are also tweeting live at @WileyTalk
