Japanese electronics giant lift "farming" high tide of growing vegetables

In recent years, due to the electronic product market competition, falling consumer demand, Toshiba, Panasonic, Fujitsu and other Japanese high-tech business development gradually in trouble, are looking for new market opportunities. In support of the Japanese government's subsidy policy, the major electronics companies will look to develop high-tech vegetable growing business, launched a "farming" tide.

 

Pictured Toshiba located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture "clean room vegetable garden", the staff is checking the growth of vegetables. Photos from the network

 

According to foreign media reports, Toshiba established a "clean room vegetable garden" in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture idle floppy plants, has been used to assemble the production line floppy planted thousands of strains of lettuce, spinach, beets and other vegetables varieties. As a food manufacturer, Toshiba has inherent advantages, because it is almost all the devices can be manufactured to help the growth of plants, including artificial lighting, power generation equipment, water purification, and for controlling the temperature and the growth of mold and other environments. Cultivation of vegetables in the original production of electronic equipment for the environment, because there is no bacteria, will be more fresh vegetables, edible period will be extended.

 

To make vegetable business profitability, Toshiba will continue to expand production scale. It is estimated that by 2015, vegetable production will reach 3 million, with annual sales target of 300 million yen (about 15.68 million yuan). Toshiba will also grow vegetables Yang expand into the Asian countries and the Middle East. Toshiba expressed the hope that its vegetables in 2015 will be able to supermarket shelves in Japan.

 

Compared with Toshiba, Fujitsu in the vegetable planting has taken a more cautious approach. 2013, Fujitsu will shut down its Fukushima Aizu Wakamatsu semiconductor factory transformed into cultivated lettuce plants, using sensors monitor the entire process technology, cultivate lettuce in a sterile clean room. Fujitsu said that this does not have to wash lettuce can be eaten directly, and potassium content of only 86% as a result of ordinary lettuce potassium content, more suitable for patients with severe kidney disease.

 

Currently Fujitsu clean lettuce daily amount of production 3500, annual output of up 1.3 million. It is estimated that such an extraordinarily high price of lettuce, 500 yen per 90 grams (about 30.5 yuan), ultra pork price tenfold. Fujitsu-year profit target set for lettuce at about 150 million yen (about 800 million yuan) in 2016 reached 400 million yen (about 20 million yuan).

 

In addition, in 2013, Sharp appliance technology use in the construction of Dubai planting a strawberry plant laboratory. The laboratory use of LED lighting and "Plasmacluster" air purification technology. Compared with Japan, light and heat resources and cheaper labor costs in Dubai, plant factory operating costs are low. Sharp said that after the successful trial in Dubai, or considering to expand into other regions in the Middle East.

 

In 2013 at the same time to enter the vegetable industry as well as electronics giant Matsushita. Panasonic established vegetable cultivation demonstration projects to test the project in the original production of digital cameras Fukushima plant mainly produces low-cost content of lettuce and other produce for kidney patients. Matsushita said that the future of the business will achieve industrialization, is expected to produce 730,000 lettuce.

 

These old electronics giant has turned to the development of high-tech agriculture, what exactly is the reason? It is reported that the Japanese government attaches great importance in recent years, the use of agricultural science and technology, biotechnology, development of high-tech agriculture, ecological agriculture, organic agriculture. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who are encouraged to enter the agriculture industry, the use of robots and sensors to assist agricultural production and exports, but also to ease the future if join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) must agree to reduce the impact of agricultural tariffs. Abe believes that if large-scale investment in agricultural science and technology company, has always been to be able to change the land-based smallholder farming elderly farmers, and food prices remain high in the agricultural structure, and effectively reduce the prices of agricultural products.

 

But the only reason not to promote agricultural development in Japan electronic giants "sea farming" of. The Japanese government is gradually expanding subsidies for high-tech agriculture, and extended to the country. According to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, etc. introduced policies to advance the cause of the revival of the Great East Japan after the earthquake, the Japanese government will raise some of the 2013 election year "advanced system of agricultural industrialization demonstration projects", the state subsidy amount can be up to 300 million yen (about 18.38 million yuan).