Footnote
(Note 1) A production method that combines soil cultivation and hydroponics. It also reduces the risk of contamination by foreign substances such as sponges, and realizes environmentally friendly agriculture by soil recycling.
(Note 2) A worldwide certification given to companies that practice “sustainable production activities” with consideration for food safety, working environment, and environmental preservation. It has spread to over 120 countries around the world and has practically become a international standard.
(Note 3) Certification given after meeting the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards for food safety, environmental conservation, labor safety, human rights/welfare, and farm operations.
(Note 4) J-GAP (Japan Good Agricultural Practice) is an approval given to farms that meet the standards necessary and sufficient for standard Japanese farms in terms of food safety, environmental conservation, human rights and welfare, and other sustainable farm management initiatives.
(Note 5) An instructor who provides guidance and consultation to farms seeking to introduce J-GAP. J-GAP covers sufficient content necessary for standard Japanese farms in terms of food safety, occupational safety, environmental conservation, human rights and welfare, and other initiatives for sustainable farm management.
MISATO GREEN BASE: Next-Generation Lettuce Production Plant
BUTAI FARM Co., Ltd.
| Publication date | October 26, 2022 (Posted on October 16, 2024) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries |
Company Overview
BUTAI FARM is engaged in extensive business projects to build a sustainable supply system for the next generation that is not restricted by existing frameworks, utilizing cutting-edge technology to produce delicious food, by continuing to create the security, safety, and stability of delicious food for the world under our vision: “We will continue to create safety, security, and stability of delicious food for the future of food, people and agriculture.”
Climate Change Impacts
In recent years, as global warming progresses, the risk of weather disasters increases, and the aging of producers and shortage of farmers become more serious, it has become necessary to build a system that can provide a stable supply of agricultural products that meet consumer needs and resolve various issues facing the agricultural industry.
Adaptation Initiatives
MISATO GREEN BASE is one of the largest next-generation automated plant factories in Japan, a 51,364 m2 Dutch-style greenhouse on a 75,550 m2 site in Misato-machi, Miyagi Prefecture. It is equipped with state-of-the-art hydroponic cultivation equipment that automates the entire process from seeding growth to cultivation, as well as environmental control equipment and LED equipment to maintain a constant growing environment (Fig. 1).
Instead of hydroponic cultivation which has been mainly done by sponges, we have developed The “BUTAI Hybrid Soil Cultivation (Note 1, Fig. 2)”, which uses soil blocks with soil. This method has been adopted as the cultivation method for MISATO GREEN BASE.
We also developed our original BUTAI Moving System (BMS), which automates the entire process from seedling growth to cultivation of lettuce, including robotic planting, liquid fertilization, and management of 11 levels of plant spacing. In terms of quality control, we have already obtained GLOBAL.G.A.P. (Note 2) and ASIA-GAP (Note 3) certifications. MISATO GREEN BASE also obtained J-GAP (Note 4) certification in October 2022, and we have several certified J-GAP instructors on staff (Note 5).
Effects / Expected Benefits
“BUTAI Hybrid Soil Cultivation” creates an environment similar to natural or organic cultivation. It also solves the problems of open-air cultivation and old-style plant factories where the production is unstable, the leaf flesh of vegetables is thin and the price is high. We can provide a stable supply of high quality lettuce at reasonable prices throughout the year (Fig. 3).
Our original and unique BUTAI Moving System (BMS), maximizes the use of land area, and the production efficiency is approximately 80 times higher than that of open-air cultivation.
