Kuwaiti farm to produce 550 kg of leafy green varieties daily in controlled conditions
&Ever Middle East, a joint venture between Kuwait’s NOX Management and German company &ever, in partnership with German engineering companies SAP and Viessmann, has opened the first commercial indoor vertical farm in the Middle East.
Kuwait, a country that previously relied on European and overseas imports for most of their leafy greens and herbs, can now locally grow up to 250 varieties of greens and herbs using Dryponics technology.
The facility, with approximately 3,000sqm growing (or faming) space, has a daily output capacity of up to 550 kg of salad, herbs, and cresses. The products are available in all leading retailers and coops under the brand name &ever Kuwait.
The farm produces high-quality and sustainable crops indoors, which increase the nutritional quality and decrease environmental impact. The cutting-edge vertical farming method uses 90 percent less water compared to traditional farming, 60 percent less fertilizer, and zero pesticides. Using a sustainable ‘farm to fork’ model, the technology is able to preserve the plants’ nutritional value until the produce reaches the customer.
“Our JV with &ever and the partnership with SAP and Viessmann on this indoor farm is enabling the local farming supply chain to save on costs and logistics, to minimize waste, and to make a better choice for the planet,” affirmed Faisal AlMeshal, Director of Strategy and Business Development, NOX Management.
The farm has partnered with Viessmann Refrigeration Solutions to develop highly efficient climatized rooms which are used in its indoor vertical farm. The technology is 40% more energy-efficient than other indoor vertical farming systems when it comes to energy use for climatization.
“Technology is the foundation for transforming customer experiences in restaurants and agricultural production in Kuwait, and for fostering diversified economic growth and sustainable agriculture worldwide,” remarked Andy Froemmel, Managing Director, SAP Kuwait.
“Our vision is to bring better tasting greens with high nutritional value to more and more people,” observed Mark Korzilius, Founder, &ever.
