Climate change, growing cities and not enough workers are changing farming. So, New Zealand is trying vertical farms and farm tech to grow food in better, greener ways.
Vertical farms grow plants in layers indoors, using water and air instead of soil. They can save water and land. Groups such as Greenspace Urban Farm and ŌKU Vertical Farms are trying this out in cities such as Auckland. They're growing greens all year.
As these farms don't need soil or good weather, they lose fewer crops and don't need as many sprays. The food is often grown close to where people will eat it. So there's less pollution from trucks and less food waste. A report says the vertical farming business could be worth over NZ$20 billion by 2030. That's a chance for New Zealand to sell its tech and crops.
Also, tech is changing regular farms. Companies such as Halter use GPS collars and computers to move animals on their own. Autogrow makes systems that control the climate and nutrients in greenhouses. This helps farmers save water, reduces the need for more workers and generate better crops.
With help from the Agritech Industry Transformation Plan, New Zealand is putting money into these ideas to make farming more productive and eco-friendly.
Vertical farming and automation are the next steps to making farming strong, efficient, and ready for what's next!
(The writer can be reached at vikrant.webs@gmail.com)
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