Protected plant production in the Highlands and Islands

Maximising fruit and vegetable production under cover

Orkney’s fresh fruit and vegetable supply is both economically and environmentally costly, especially for Orkney’s more remote Northern Isles as extra (refrigerated) shipping is required. The increased distance and therefore time taken from harvest to plate is associated with a reduction in shelf life and nutritional content.  More localised production of fresh produce provides a potential solution if production levels can be increased, and supply chains developed.

This projects aim is to utilise new vertical farming technologies (hydroponics, LED lighting etc.) to increase the production of fruit and veg in polytunnels and polycrubs, thereby making Orkney to become significantly more self-sufficient in production of fresh produce and thereby less reliant on environmentally expensive imports.

Photo by Andrik Tri Witanto