—Aims to produce 3 million bags of vegetables a year—
TOKYO - Tuesday, September 30th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS
WIRE) -- Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has
begun production of vegetables at the Toshiba Clean Room Farm Yokosuka, a
plant factory in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture. Shipment of the first
crop is scheduled for the end of October.
Located in a formerly idle
facility, Toshiba’s closed-type plant factory uses state-of-the-art
technology to raise crops and operates under almost aseptic
conditions*1. Toshiba aims for annual output of three million bags (one
bag is equivalent to a head of lettuce) of leaf lettuce, baby leaf
greens, spinach, mizuna and herbs per, and targets annual sales target
of 300 million yen.
Plant factories grow vegetables in close to
sterile conditions in almost germ-free cleanrooms. Minimizing the entry
of germs and the damage that they can do considerably extends the
freshness and shelf-life of vegetables, a major concern for retailers of
cut vegetables and salads. Toshiba will promote sales to supermarkets,
convenience stores, delicatessens and restaurants.
The factory is
equipped with a wide range of technologies and know-how from across
Toshiba Group, including fluorescent lighting with an output wavelength
optimized for vegetable growth; air-conditioning systems that maintain
constant temperature and moisture level; remote monitoring systems to
track growth; and sterilization systems for packing materials. The
production management system is based on that utilized for semiconductor
device production.
In order to increase sales in this new business,
Toshiba is also considering construction of a large-scale plant factory
outside Japan, and the sale of equipment for plant factory applications
within FY2014.
Toshiba is promoting a healthcare business throughout
the world to support the development of a society where people can lead
healthier and happier lives. Toshiba Group is also promoting “New
Concept Innovation” in order to create new value by combining the
Group’s wide-ranging technologies. The aim is to offer unique products
and services and to develop new sales channels to further strengthen
business operations.
Note:
*1:
An environment where germs are found on vegetables at about 1/1000th the level typical for vegetables grown in soil.
Overview of Toshiba Clean Room Farm Yokosuka
Address:
1-201-1 Funakoshi-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Total floor area:
Approximately 1,969 square meters Vegetables cultivated: Lettuce, baby
leaf spinach, mizuna, herbs Production scale: 3 million bags a year
(lettuce equivalent)
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50952154&lang=en
Contacts
Toshiba Corporation
Masumi Fukuoka / Tatsuro Oishi, +81-3-3457-2100
Public Relations & Investor Relations Office
Corporate Communications Division
Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/12269/en
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