Taiwan to build £18m vertical farm in Britain
YesHealth Agri-Biotechnology Co., which operates a 14-storey vertical farm in Taoyuan City called YesHealth iFarm, will invest 18 million pounds sterling (US$25.47 million) over two years to establish a pilot factory at the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC) in York, "bringing the next generation of food production to UK shores," Stuart announced at a press conference held at the farm in Taoyuan.
Stuart, who visited Taiwan to boost trade links, said YesHealth will become the first such company to expand into the UK market. YesHealth expects its UK facility to produce 50-150 kilograms of vegetables per day.
In early 2019, it also plans to build a mass production facility in the UK capable of supporting daily production of 20 tonnes of vegetables within five years, according to the company.
YesHealth President Winston Tsai said the company chose the UK to establish its first base in Europe because it has high spending power and British people consume a lot of salad.
He said the company has focused on agri-technology for the past nine years because climate change, industrial development and environmental destruction have reduced arable land and made it difficult to grow crops outdoors, and young people are reluctant to go into farming.
Tsai said the goal is to expand YesHealth farms from the UK to all of Europe and the Middle East.