LeaderBrand is thrilled to announce that the first stage of its mega greenhouse nears completion. After a tiresome three years, a smaller, three-hectare greenhouse is currently undergoing soil preparations.
“Undercover farming will be a massive change to the way we currently farm but we think that this style of farming will be the way of the future. The first lot of crops is going to be a lot of trial and error but we’re really looking forward to the greenhouses helping to mitigate most weather impacts and supply variations while allowing us to explore more technology and farm more sustainably." Said Gordon McPhail, LeaderBrand’s General Manager of Farming.
The team at LeaderBrand has been battling global freight issues, labour shortages, severe weather conditions and of course the pandemic during the project's construction. Soil preparations for stage one are an exciting step forward.
“The soil is extremely compacted from several years of construction including telehandlers, concrete mixers and cherry-pickers. We’ve already had the tractors in breaking-up and turning over the soil to start to get it back into a healthy state for planting. This is a crucial stage and is going to take several weeks to complete."
The first trial crop is planned for mid-July and construction will continue on the bigger eight-hectare greenhouse that is set for completion early next year.
"The goal is to have a more consistent crop supply that will ultimately ensure that we can keep feeding New Zealand with healthy fresh vegetables at a more consistent price."
