Indoor Blueberry and Caneberry Production Coming Soon

Posted by Brian Sparks|March 31, 2021

Vertical farming operation AeroFarms and Hortifrut S.A., a Chile-based berry production, marketing, and distribution company, have announced a multi-year partnership to jointly research and develop blueberry and caneberry production in fully controlled indoor environments and vertical farms.

Together, this &D partnership will identify and optimize blueberry and caneberry plants for indoor growing, allowing both companies to further expand their knowledge in sustainable farming. The goal of the partnership is to advance the production of the next generation of commercial blueberries and caneberries in vertical farms.

The first phase of the partnership is already underway with blueberry plants arriving this spring at AeroFarms’ global headquarters in Newark, NJ, where the company has more than 100,000 square feet of vertical farming space for R&D and commercial production. Hortifrut, through its state-of-the-art genetic program, has bred compact blueberry plants ideal for vertical farming, and AeroFarms has optimized its grow systems for berry production. Both companies envision a long-term partnership working together to formulate the commercialization of blueberries and caneberries grown in vertical farms globally. The teams are focused on delivering the most flavorful, nutritious, fresh blueberries to consumers at any time, anywhere in the world. The agreement also considers the experimental site setup, planting of Hortifrut varieties, feasibility, data analysis, and potential further expansion.

“We are thrilled to announce our blueberry partnership with Hortifrut,” says David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AeroFarms. “Hortifrut’s legacy of plant breeding and global blueberry production is unsurpassed in the industry, and we look forward to bringing our mastery of controlled environment growing to commercial blueberry production.”

“We are very excited to have reached this agreement with such a successful and thriving vertical farming company like AeroFarms,” says Juan Ignacio Allende, Hortifrut’s CEO. “Now we will put the efforts and know-how of both teams to work side by side, allowing us to succeed in growing blueberries and caneberries under this new technology. Responsible farming, high-quality fruit and a commitment to customer service are in our DNA. We believe this is only the beginning of a successful partnership focused on growing, supplying and marketing the best berries, every day all over the world.”