Home ›› 23 Jul 2022 ›› Corporate
The world’s largest hydroponic farm Bustanica has opened its doors in Dubai, backed by an investment of $40 million.
The facility is the first vertical farm for Emirates Crop One, the joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) and Crop One, an industry leader in technology-driven indoor vertical farming, Emirates said in a statement.
Located near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the 330,000 sqft facility is geared to produce more than 1,000,000 kilograms of high-quality leafy greens annually while requiring 95 per cent less water than conventional agriculture. At any point in time, the facility grows in excess of 1m cultivars (plants), providing an output of 3,000 kgs per day.
Bustanica is driven by powerful technology – machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced methods – and a highly specialised in-house team that includes agronomy experts, engineers, horticulturists and plant scientists.
A continuous production cycle ensures the produce is fresh, clean, and grown without pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals.
Passengers on Emirates and other airlines can look forward to forking these delicious leafy greens, including lettuces, arugula, mixed salad greens, and spinach, onboard their flights from July.
Bustanica is not just revolutionising salads in the sky – UAE consumers will soon be able to add these greens to their shopping carts at the nearest supermarkets. Bustanica also plans to expand into producing and selling fruits and vegetables.