Last month, some cucumber growers invited by Nunhems visited Finland to take a look at the lit cucumber cultivation. The group consisted of Dutch growers working with supplemental lighting under the guidance of Marcel Huibers of Nunhems and Auvo Toivola of Helle Oy.
The current lighting levels in the Netherlands are between 60 and 100 watts per square meter. In Finland, the level is between 200 and 400 watts per square meter, often with intermediate lighting. If crops are lit for 20 hours with 400 watts, it generates about 3000 joules in one day. In the greenhouse with 400 watts, a single production exceeded 200 pounds per square metre last year.
The Dutch growers compared the assemblies with a jacked up Ferrari. For instance, the lamps could be adjusted independently of each other in height. Gutters could move horizontally and vertically. The cost price for the grower to produce a kilo of cucumbers was calculated at about 1.30 euros per kilo. A visit to a supermarket showed a price of 3.99 euros per kilo.
The effect of a rising current price is also quite rigorous. If the current price increases with 1 cent per kWh, the cost per square meter increases with 15 euros with the most intensive equipment.
All in all it was a very successful tour with interested growers.
More information:
Marcel Huibers
Nunhems
Specialist Cucumber International
Phone: +31 620396578
Fax: +31 475595104
