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Netled Signs €15 Million Contract With Oh My Greens To Deliver Vera Vertical Farm To Sweden
Netled and Oh My Greens (OMG) have signed a contract for a three-year investment programme that will see Netled deliver its Vera vertical farm to OMG, a Swedish supplier of potted herbs
July 13, 2021
Netled has signed a contract worth €15 million with Swedish herbs supplier, Oh My Greens.
Netled and Oh My Greens (OMG) have signed a contract for a three-year investment program that will see Netled deliver its Vera vertical farm to OMG, a Swedish supplier of potted herbs. The contract was signed in June 2021 and is worth a total of 15 million euros over three years. The contract also includes a five-year maintenance and cultivation consultancy service, and is estimated to be one of the largest turn-key technology deals specifically between the technology providers and farm operators in the indoor agriculture market to date.
The first delivery for the project is underway and is valued at 3.2 million euros; it is due in Q2 of 2022. After commissioning, Netled will continue to provide technical and consultancy services while OMG will focus on producing and supplying vegetables to retailers in Stockholm. The second phase of the investment plan is due to start in Q4/2022.
OMG is a farm operator company providing consumers with potted herbs and has ambitions to achieve a major market share in Sweden by the end of the investment program.
OMG is part of Applied Value Group, a Swedish-American investment, management consultancy, and social impact firm. OMG operates in Sweden together with its sister company, Bake My Day (BMD). BMD is a 25 million USD revenue company serving 800 customers with daily deliveries including around 400 grocery stores. Working together, BMD and OMG can offer a wide range of the highest quality fresh food products to retail throughout Stockholm and the Mälardalen region, covering 40% of the Swedish population.
“We considered 17 different vertical farming technology providers and came to the conclusion that, in terms of its technology, know-how, and delivery capabilities, Netled is years ahead of the competition,” says CEO of OMG, Moses Isik.
“Netled’s technical and horticultural knowledge, and decades of experience of growing technologies, combined with OMG’s superb logistic network and existing customer relationships, creates an unbeatable competitive advantage which will allow us to quickly increase our market share and supersede traditional herb production with sustainable and ecological vertical farming that will disrupt the existing supply structures.” he continues.
“Netled’s Vera vertical farming technology will allow us to provide customers throughout Sweden with fresher herbs and leafy greens, grown hyper-locally and with a significantly reduced carbon footprint”, Moses adds. “Not only does the customer benefit, but the planet does too!”
Netled Ltd. is the leading vertical farming technology provider in Finland. Netled’s Vera technology offers turn-key indoor farming systems which include a dynamic spacing system, LED lighting, HVAC, and a nutrition system. It also includes automation software, production management and horticulture intelligence software. The Vera family of growing systems range from the Instore growing cabinets to massive-scale Industrial systems.
“The cooperation with OMG and its sister company, BMD, creates a huge opportunity for Netled to increase its market presence in Sweden. It also solidifies our position as the global leader in vertical farming technology,” says CEO of Netled, Niko Kivioja. This contract is the first industrial-scale operation for Netled, which was previously focused on an urban farm scale.
“This contract not only allows OMG to produce fantastic products for customers throughout the whole of Sweden, but it also functions as a clear example to other farm operators of the industrial-scale applications and opportunities our Vera vertical farming technology is capable of.” Kivioja continues.
“Netled is now the premier provider of vertical farming technology globally and we intend to keep it that way.” he concludes.
More information:
Niko Kivioja
CEO, Netled Ltd.
+358 50 360 8121
Moses Isik
CEO, Applied Industries Holding AB
+46 704 269 267
Robert Brooks
Investor Relations & Communications Manager
+358 50 484 0003
Vertically Grown Salads And Fresh Herbs In Føtex And Bilka Across Denmark
Danske Nordic Harvest has entered into a strategic partnership with Salling Group
Danske Nordic Harvest has worked at high pressure to get one of the world's largest vertical farms, fitted with the ground-breaking technology, ready for production for Danish consumers, and now the products are landing on Danish shelves for the first time: "The products from Nordic Harvest are unique in taste and quality. They are made without the use of pesticides, with an approx. 250 times less water consumption and through completely optimal land use.
We have believed in Nordic Harvest's innovative products for several years and are pleased that it has now become a reality," says Stephan Bruhn, category director at Salling Group, and continues: "We know that consumers are interested in the green transition, food security, and goods without chemicals, and we are convinced that sustainable products in this form will be a hit. That's why we also go out and launch in all føtex and Bilka's for a start."
With the agreement, Nordic Harvest will deliver almost three tonnes of salads and herbs a week to the Salling Group. At the same time, the plan is to test new products in Salling Group's chains on an ongoing basis.
On Nordic Harvest's vertical farm in Taastrup, the crops are grown on floors, which utilizes space. On 14 floors, the salads and herbs are grown in water in a closed and controlled environment that gives the plants the optimal conditions for growth, taste and nutritional content."
From harvest until they are in the package in the fridge, it takes about 10 minutes. From seeds to supermarkets, they have never been in contact with soil, human hands, bacteria, fungal spores or pests. And they, therefore, do not need to be rinsed, either when packed or before being used at home at the dining table. So there is nothing along the way that degrades the plant, and therefore the products have an impressive shelf life that minimizes food waste.
"We could not have found a better launch partner than Salling Group. Our common values around sustainable production and their skilled sense of taste and quality have meant that we have had a fantastic dialogue and a good collaboration from our very beginning. I am looking forward to seeing how Danish consumers receive our products," says Anders Riemann, CEO of Nordic Harvest.
The prices of Nordic Harvest products will be at the same level as similar organic products. All the products from Nordic Harvest are delivered cut and in boxes that do not crush the leaves, and which can also be easily closed again if you do not use it all at once. The packaging is made from 100 percent recyclable recycled plastic.
Source: https://via.ritzau.dk/
Photo source: Dreamstime.com
Publication date: Fri 30 Apr 2021
Is Vertical Farming The Future of Herb Cultivation?
“With vertical farming, I can plant a herb, and can be sure it'll ready to sell in five weeks,” says Berjelle. “You also have certainty about your product’s quality. That’s because the product is optimally controlled. The plant grows evenly, thanks to the LED lighting, so it tastes better too."
Berjelle van Namen, Van Namen Specialties
Berjelle van Namen’s roots lie primarily in mushroom cultivation. His father, Johan, has a farm on the banks of the Maas river in the Netherlands. Yet, a few years ago, Berjelle decided to add herb cultivation. Not in a greenhouse or in full soil; in a converted mushroom cultivation cell.
The room is illuminated with violet-colored LED bulbs, and the containers holding the herbs are stacked, one atop the other. This can clearly be considered vertical farming. This concept is gaining increasing popularity among farmers - especially those who grow herbs, leafy and micro vegetables, and edible flowers.
There have even recently been trials with soft fruit. It’s been standard practice in the mushroom world for some time now. Hence the relationship between Van Namen mushrooms and the herbs of Van Namen Specialties.
For Berjelle, it started as an experiment. He encountered this cultivation method during his internship in Finland. There, at Robbe’s Little Garden, they grow lettuce, herbs, and micro vegetables in this way. According to Berjelle, vertical farming offers numerous advantages over traditional herb cultivation.
Vertical farming’s advantages
“With vertical farming, I can plant a herb, and can be sure it'll ready to sell in five weeks,” says Berjelle. “You also have certainty about your product’s quality. That’s because the product is optimally controlled. The plant grows evenly, thanks to the LED lighting, so it tastes better too."
"It satisfies clients, who are increasingly demanding just-in-time delivery of products like herbs. Of course, we mustn’t forget the sustainable character of this cultivation method. Especially since farming like this uses very little gas and no pesticides. We’re looking for ways to be highly energy-efficient too.”
There was a demand for herbs
Berjelle now grows about 12 kinds of herbs and has added a second cell. “In this way, we can vary cultivation conditions like using different temperatures," explains van Namen. "Basil is our top seller. It’s a popular herb that sells well. It’s followed by herbs such as parsley and mint.”
Berjelles sells his herbs under the company’s own brand, Pika Surprisa, and Esperanto for ‘spicy surprises’. Still, Berjelle points out that it’s mainly enjoyable to cultivate and experiment with these herbs. “It’s not quite profitable yet. To achieve this, you’d have to seriously consider scaling up and adding rooms."
"You’d also have to see if you want to grow only one variety. We chose to grow herbs mainly because of the increasing demand for year-round delivery and consistent quality. Vertical farming guarantees this. You can also be relatively lazy with your purchases. You know what you’ll get on the day you want it."
"From the cultivation side, there aren’t as many operational issues either. Although you always have to deal with that. The only thing is, it doesn’t save labor; hands are still needed in that cell,” admits Berjelle.
Herb sales differ from those of mushrooms. “We’ve attracted many new clients who really only buy herbs, and we’ve noticed fewer clients buying both. We keep these two products separate. That’s why the herbs fall under Van Namen Specialties. For example, we export mushrooms to countries like Germany and the UK, but not yet our herbs. Perhaps we will in the future.”
For the coming months, Van Namen’s main goal is to make it through the corona crisis successfully. “The mushroom market was very volatile in these unusual times. It’s slowly recovering, but it still has a long way to go. There aren’t any major developments planned for the rest of the year, either. Now, it's mostly a matter of serving our clients well,” Berjelle concludes.
More information:
Van Namen Specialties
www.vannamenspecialties.nl
Berjelle van Namen
berjelle@vannamenspecialties.nl
Publication date: Thu 27 Aug 2020
Author: Thom Dobbelaar
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