Swedish vertical farmer and salad producer Ljusgårda plans to increase its production 20-fold and expand cultivation to produce at least 60 tons of salad per month.
To increase output, the company is building a new 7,000 sq m indoor farm, of which 2,500 sq m is growing area. After completion, Ljusgårda will become one of Europe’s largest vertical farms.
Signify is helping the Swedish company to expand by deploying Philips GreenPower LED production modules and Philips GrowWise control system that allow the light spectrum and lighting levels to be controlled to improve the quality and higher yields per square meter. Additionally, LED lighting allows growers to predict levels of growth to adapt its production to market demand during the season.
"Our expansion will enable us to offer our sustainably grown salads to more Swedish households throughout the year, so we are looking forward to an exciting time," said Andreas Wilhelmsson, CEO of Ljusgårda. "Together we are expanding our facility in Sweden. Signify’s controllable light spectrum enables us to optimize the light for cultivation and produce the highest quality crops."
Ljusgårda’s salads are sold in more than 60 ICA supermarkets in the Swedish regions of Västra Götaland and Småland. The expansion of the facility and production will allow Ljusgårda to supply salads to stores throughout Sweden.
“By using the latest lighting systems in vertical farming, Ljusgårda can supply salads that meet the highest food safety standards,” said Henrik Nørgaard, Nordic commercial director of agriculture at Signify. “The right lighting also results in plants of a higher quality and a higher percentage of crops being consumed, reducing food waste. Additionally, by helping Ljusgårda to grow locally we contribute to significantly reducing the food miles these salads have to travel before making it to Swedish consumers.”
