Kagome will work with information technology group NEC on introducing techniques to optimize tomato growing at overseas farms.
Kagome will roll out the system mainly to contract farmers beginning in fiscal 2016. The company will start with tomato varieties made for processing, focusing on open-air farms of a few dozen to a few hundred hectares. Kagome will consider bringing the system to in-company farms and domestic contract farmers in the future.
Large outdoor farms are more difficult to manage than indoor farms, and output tends to depend on the farmer's experience and techniques. To eliminate those uncertainties, Kagome will analyze weather and soil data from satellites and drones as well as sensors placed on farms. Based on the results, the company will provide each farm with watering and fertilizing methods to optimize yield. A trial run in Portugal boosted crop output as much as 50% above the mean.