Groundbreaking farming methods are being undertaken in Kawuichi, Japan, to circumvent damage caused by the atomic disaster at the Fukishima nuclear plant following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
With radiation from the plant soaked into the soil, a local government initiative is pioneering a project to grow food in a sealed-off hydroponics factory.
The Bloomberg Businessweek reports that construction is currently underway for an aluminium-clad building roughly the size of a soccer field which will utilise LED lights and a fertiliser-infused water solution.
The facility will produce an estimated 8,000 heads of lettuce every day from April this year.Industry analysts believe more may soon be built to produce tomatoes, strawberries and other fruit.
Agricultural shipments to Japan rose sharply by 16 per cent to ¥5.58tn (US$59bn) in 2011 in the wake of the disaster, according to the Bloomberg Businessweek.
Collaborative efforts between the government, industry and researchers are hoped to offer farmers the opportunity to regain livelihoods were wiped out in the natural disaster.
The subsequent challenge will be making their produce competitive with the import market and assuring Japanese consumers of the safety of their food.
