With growing consumer demand for soft fruit throughout the year, many growers are capitalising on the opportunity to supply the increasing market. To do so, however, probably means a change in approach and an investment in some new – or perhaps old – infrastructure. For those with existing glasshouses, it may well be possible to convert them for soft fruit production, although to what extent modifications are required depends on what they were originally built for.
Year-round production of soft fruit only really becomes viable if heat is available, while the availability of CO2 is another factor worth considering. If you don’t have an existing structure suitable for conversion, a new, purpose-built structure may be viable. The cost will depend on your starting point (conversion or new build) and the scale of the project.
GrowSave, a project we deliver on behalf of the AHDB Horticulture, has recently published a new Technical Update that looks into the main considerations when either converting a glasshouse or building a new structure for soft fruit production as well as the typical costs involved.