New topics on the horizon for the Vertical Farming Industry

Yes, indoor farming is still a new market and yes the industry is young and promising and yes there is still so much to be discovered. All these known facts are still true. However yesterday on the first day of the Indoor Ag-Con, a certain amount of future predictions were made. Hot topics in the near future of Indoor Farming are closing the supply chain, further automation and the awaited entrance of soft fruit and specially bred indoor farming varieties.

The Indoor Ag-Con kicked off for its sixth edition yesterday. While competing with cannabis events, the two day program has evolved and grown further this year and again unites the industry's suppliers, researchers, growers, investors and other professionals from the food industry in Las Vegas. While the industry is growing, scaling up and professionalizing also new topics come up. For current entrepreneurs and this year's Indoor Ag-Con a clear focus lies on the demand of the market: using your business as a tool to create a certain and specific end product.

It starts with the availability of varieties and their behavior in indoor farms. In several readings remarks were made on the lack of specially bred Indoor Farming varieties. At the event various breeders are visiting but none of them is so far exposing their indoor varieties. Their products and the knowledge they can share on the benefits of specially bred varieties are missed in the vertical farming industry.

In today's discussions possible new crops were discussed and expectations are high for strawberries - even though it's not happening yet. Also the further growth potential of cannabis as well as other crops like nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and industrials were discussed.

Over the coming period we'll share more insights with you and Monday a complete photo report will be posted.

For now we focus on day two of the exhibition. The Indoor Ag-Con will address several technical topics this Thursday. On the newly introduced second stage a business program is set, sharing information about topics like insurance, raising funding and market oriented growing. The Indoor Ag-Con will be concluded on Friday with a visit to Sanan Bio's Plant-Factory.