Get to know Hong Kong's high-tech farmer who produces veggies within the city's skyscrapers.
Future Farm
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Future Farm 〰️
At the beginning of February, there wasn't enough fresh food for all 7.4 million people who live in Hong Kong, which is a financial hub in Asia. As a result of difficult border crossings due to China's tight Covid-19 rules, local supermarkets lacked fresh produce.
In a densely populated metropolis such as Hong Kong, there is limited room for farming. To put it another way, nearly all of its food is imported from other countries. More than 90% of the food consumed in this skyscraper metropolis, particularly fresh produce like vegetables, is imported, primarily from China's mainland.
Locally grown veggies account for, according to Tam, barely 1.5% of the city's vegetable sales. In contrast, he feels that current technology like IoT sensors and LED lighting may enable vertical farms like Farm66 boost food production in Hong Kong and help the city educate other cities how to do the same. An interview with Tam took place at an industrial area, where the firm has a vertical farm.
Tam claims that he and Billy Lam, Farm66's COO, founded the firm in 2013 as a high-tech vertical farming pioneer in Hong Kong. For example, red LED light accelerates the growth of stems, whereas blue LED light increases the size of leaves.
On top of that, sensors and robots connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) are used by Farm66 to monitor quality and aid operate its 20,000 square foot indoor farm. This aids the business in locating and retaining staff. Traditional farming is in trouble because there aren't enough individuals with the proper abilities, according to Tam. "Because many of the final generation of farmers' children do not wish to assume control of their family's farming operations. They view it as a thankless task."
As a result, "we can make farming more interesting to young people by leveraging technology to improve the workplace," he explains. Farm66 employs a total of 15 people, including data analysts, food scientists, and mechanical engineers, amongst others. They may produce up to 7 tons of veggies each month.
