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COMPANY PROFILE

Young healthy plant in the grow tower

CAN-AGRI COMPANY PROFILE

Can-Agri (Clean Air Nurseries Agri Global) is a South African company which has developed
a vertical farming system that is practical and economically feasible on a commercial
scale. In the near future, they intend to expand internationally, providing their technology
and support to farmers around the world. CEO Francois van der Merwe provided the
information below to Landscape SA.

Q: How long has vertical farming been in products, and a shorter cold chain. The but for commercial reasons we focus
existence, and was it developed for any method also has a lower carbon impact, is mainly on fancy lettuce. Produce such as
specific reason? more sustainable and more cost effective tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are
A: The concept of vertical farming has been than conventional farming. vine plants and are by nature already a
around since the 1900’s, but technology vertical farm, but leafy greens don’t grow
started emerging at the beginning of Q: Can vertical farming be done both high and as such they are inefficient in
2000, approximately, and by 2010 the outdoors and in a greenhouse? Is one their use of greenhouse space. Lettuce and
first pilot project farms using LED lighting better than the other? leafy greens, when planted in our system,
were established. Vertical farming was A: It can be done outdoors but this will effectively become ‘vine-like’ plants.
developed so that food could be grown in significantly reduce the ability to control
the urban environment. the climate and pests. This in turn increases Q: Please can you explain the technical
grow cycles and reliance on pesticides. It design aspects of the structure in which
Q: What advantages does it have over will also reduce the overall quality of the the products are grown, for example
traditional farming methods? harvest, reducing usable crops from 95% what the grow wall is made of, its height
A: Vertical farming uses less resources down to approximately 50%. and how many plants it can hold, how it
in terms of water, land and fertiliser, and is installed and whether it can be tailored
eliminates the need for chemicals and Q: Which agricultural products are best to suit different clients’ requirements?
pesticides. This means no fertiliser and suited to vertical farming, or can any A: The wall is made of a segmented plastic
pesticide run-off into rivers. As a means product be grown in this way? moulded plant holder, with purpose-made
of production, it can be closer to markets A: Our system was designed for leafy components. It can be any height because
which means less transportation of the greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale it is made up of 300mm segments that fit

Landscape SA • Issue 98 2021 11