Click here for the complete photo recap of the 2016 GPEC Exhibition.
The exhibition, which attracted nearly 19,000 registered visitors this year, is one of the most important events to become acquainted with present-day controlled environment agriculture developments in Japan. From extensive crop controls and sometimes even robotized plant measuring tools towards futuristic looking hydroponic setups; 'the more technology the better' seems to be the credo, wether good for the crop or not. The level of technological possibilities is high, but 'crop wise' the industry still has a lot to learn.
More news from Japan: Because due to available subsidies, low interest rates and good market conditions with attractive prices for fresh produce, the acreage with high tech greenhouses in Japan is growing steadily. Over the last couple of years, VB Group has been involved in the realization of several high tech greenhouses; the Dutch company was responsible for the construction of several turnkey projects, as well as installing heating systems for greenhouse projects with their Japanese partner Tomita Technologies.
And while we were in Japan to visit the conference in Tokyo, we also found some time to visit several retailers, local groceries and wholesale markets to take a look at the current offerings of fresh produce. In the photo report you will see extreme high priced produce and some rare offerings. Click here to view the complete photo report from our visits to the Japanese produce retail.