A VICTORIAN greenhouse herb company will "embrace the cloud" for its high-tech production facility thanks to supermarket giant Coles.
Last week, Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs at Clyde opened its new state-of-the-art greenhouse which incorporates cloud technology to tell employees when and what herbs to pack.
It's hoped the upgrades will increase yields by about 75 per cent. The business is also aiming to make locally-grown herbs available all year round.
Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs used a $430,000 interest-free loan from the Coles Nurture Fund, a program that is providing $50 million in grants and interest-free loans over five years to businesses in the food and grocery sector to grow and innovate.
The cloud technology, designed by Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs, involves large screens mounted within the greenhouses that tell employees exactly when and what herbs to plant, pick and pack.
Complementing this are Dutch-designed rolling benches which can be pushed together to increase planting space and rolled into an adjoining shed so employees can harvest the herbs at the one location.
By producing more herbs per square metre and bringing harvesting to one location, our overall cost of production will fall and our growing will become more streamlined.
- Jan Wydra, Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs
Business partners Jan Vydra and William Pham founded Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs in 2008 and began supplying Coles directly in October 2014.
From an initial crop of basil eight years ago, it now supplies 17 herb varieties including different salad ranges, all year round from its farms located in Melbourne, Bundaberg, Mareeba and Darwin.
The company received the Rising Star Award at the 2015 Coles Supplier of the Year Awards last September.
Mr Vydra was awarded Australian Young Farmer of the Year in 2011. He is also a Nuffield Scholar.
He said bringing such technology to an Australian greenhouse was a first.
“Two years ago, I saw the rolling benches in action in Holland and decided the benefits for yields and productivity were so impressive, we should introduce them to our business in Clyde,” Mr Vydra said.
He said the combination of the rolling benches, cloud technology and climate controlled greenhouse will increase annual yield from 350 bunches per square metre to more than 600 bunches.
“By producing more herbs per square metre and bringing harvesting to one location, our overall cost of production will fall and our growing will become more streamlined,” he said.
Coles managing director John Durkan congratulated Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs on its initiative.
“When we established the Coles Nurture Fund, this is exactly the sort of innovation we had hoped to support. We are delighted to see this landmark project come to life,” he said.
“Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs are great innovators in the industry. This new horticulture model using the latest technology will mean our customers can buy great quality, locally-grown herbs all year round at affordable prices.”
By choosing to grow herbs hydroponically rather than in the field, the company estimates it has used 10 times less water, equating to nearly half a billion litres of water since 2008.
