Mitsubishi Chemical Group Teams up to Deliver Plant Factory System to China’s Bright Food Group
Jan. 16, 2020
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Waga) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Bright Food Group Shanghai Wusi Co., Ltd. (Bright Food Group; Head office: Shanghai, China; Chairman: Huang Chao) for delivery of one of China’s largest culturing systems fed with both artificial and solar light. This plant factory system is the first in China to include a cucumber culturing system. MCC subsidiary Mitsubishi Chemical Agri Dream Co., Ltd., developed the system, which will be delivered by its subsidiary in China, Wuxi Lingyang Green Agricultural System & Technology Co., Ltd.
The plant factory system features a hybrid greenhouse that combines the use of artificial light to raise seedlings and then sunlight to efficiently produce plants from the seedlings. The advantages of the system include year-round harvesting, reduced water consumption, and proper use of fertilizers.
Bright Food Group has established food value chains spanning from production of agricultural and marine products to food processing, logistics, and retail sales, and owns many of China’s leading food brands. The company has produced leafy vegetables since 2017, when it adopted the MCC Group’s leafy vegetable plant factory system (culturing area: 8,000m2). As the second phase of the construction project, the company is now planning to expand its leafy vegetable production capacity, constructing two new 8,640m2culturing plants. In addition, it will adopt plant factory systems for fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers), with a culturing area of 2,300m2 for each. Operations are slated to begin this summer.
In recent years, the Chinese market has seen a rapidly growing trend toward more fresh and tasty food, in addition to rising concerns about food safety and security. Consumers are also getting into the habit of eating a fresh vegetable salad as a side dish, even as meat consumption increases every year. As a result, sales of high value-added premium vegetables have increased. MCC therefore positions China as a strategic market.
The MCC Group continually works to satisfy new demands in Asia’s remarkably growing market through investments and tie-ups and takes a proactive approach to developing its plant factory system business.
