Jersey City, N.J.-based vertical indoor strawberry grower Oishii says it will use robotic arms to help with farming tasks, after a partnership with Yaskawa Electric Corp., a Japanese industrial robotics company.
Together, the companies plan to develop new automation solutions to optimize vertical farming methods and scale output, according to a news release.
Related: For retailers, Oishii made another vertically farmed berry: Koyo strawberry
The robots will work in concert with Oishii’s infrastructure, technology and urban farmers to harvest strawberries at the peak of freshness. When paired with Oishii’s proprietary technology — which includes crop management algorithms, environmental controls and energy monitors —Yaskawa’s innovations will deliver new efficiencies to reduce food, energy and water waste, according to the release.
The collaboration will help Oishii to scale globally, with the introduction of advanced automation across all of Oishii’s farm facilities.
“We’re honored to partner with a company that is invested in our mission to reinvent the future of agriculture,” Oishii co-founder and CEO Hiroki Koga said in the release.
Oishii combines technology and Japanese farming techniques to grow fruit that’s pollinated naturally with bees, without pesticides and ripe year-round.
The partnership comes on the heels of momentous growth for the company.
In February, Oishii introduced a new cultivar, The Koyo Berry, noted for its sweetness, balanced acidity, fragrant aroma and slightly firm texture. The Koyo Berry joins the original variety, the Omakase Berry, which is also noted for its sweetness and aroma but with a more creamy texture.
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In May 2022, the brand opened the indoor, 74,000-square-foot Mugen Farm, which uses 60% less energy and 40% less water than the company’s first-generation facilities, according to the release.
The vertical farming innovator is also in development on new types of flowering produce.
Founded in 2016, Oishii’s investors include SPARX Group, Sony Innovation Fund, PKSHA Technology and Social Starts. The company was recognized as one of Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2022.
