"A totally new agricultural model": JD and Mitsubishi open China's largest hydroponic plant factory
JD.com and Mitsubishi Chemical have teamed up to launch what they consider to be China's largest "plant factory", based on hydroponic technology.
According to the JD.com corporate blog, the factory is 11,040 square meters in size, and uses hydroponics with sunlight and an enclosed seedling production environment with artificial lighting.
“JD's supply chain technology, logistics network and e-commerce expertise combined with the sophisticated and growing technology of Mitsubishi Chemical puts us in an ideal position to create an entirely new model for agriculture, and cultivate an of fresh and healthy life in China, "said Xiaosong Wang, President of FMCG and JD Food.
"JD's plant factory in Tongzhou marks JD's entry into the fresh food production chain, allowing us to ensure that the fresh produce we sell is treated with the care that JD applies to everything we do." added the professional.
"Temperature, humidity, light and liquid fertilizers are automatically controlled by the factory's management system, allowing a more standardized production of high-quality vegetables without the challenge of seasonal changes," added the representative of JD. “High quality, in this case refers not only to a higher content of micronutrients (where the spinach of the plant contains 80% more folate, 25% more potassium, 37% more phosphorus and 32% more vitamin C than normal spinach), but also that they do not contain pesticides or chemicals that are used in planting ”.
The factory can also produce more vegetables than conventional systems. "We can grow 19 batches of spinach in one year, compared to only 4 batches per year in one field or 6 per year in a greenhouse," he said.
Traceability and sustainability are also particularly important. All the crops in the factory "are tracked from the moment they are planted until they are delivered". JD also states that only half a liter of water is needed to grow any of the vegetables in the facility.
It is important to note that the integration of the installation with the JD cold chain network means a shorter and less complicated transport process.
Currently, the plant factory produces spinach, red and green lettuce, coriander, cabbage, among others. His cultures are available online at JD.com and offline at the company's 7FRESH supermarkets.
Alliances and JD developments related to food
The plant's factory is just the latest of JD's many food-related initiatives with a technology base. In early 2018, JD launched its first automated (unstaffed) convenience store in Indonesia. JD.ID X-Mart's technology allows shoppers to “walk around the store, grab what they need, and go out” with their JD.ID phone app.
Soon after, the company announced partnerships with 18 fruit retailers around the world, with the goal of bringing New Zealand kiwis, Canadian cherries, oranges and cherries from the United States and Chilean blueberries to China within 48 hours.
The brands involved include the kiwi brand Zespri, Capespan of South Africa, the US company Driscoll, the Dutch brand FruitMasters and the Prize of Chile.
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