iFarm to build a robotic vertical farm in Switzerland

iFarm announced the start of construction of the vertical farm with its technologies in Switzerland. The client is the Swiss company Hygrow. Based on the iFarm StackGrow technology, this top-notch robotic farm will start operations in summer 2025.

The vertical farm will have a 1,031 m² cultivation area, and will produce green crops, amounting to several tons of ultra-fresh greens per month. The yield will be distributed to the country’s major retail chains.

Farm layout:

The farm will utilize iFarm StackGrow technology, a fully automated system with mobile trays for growing plants on vertical farms. Compared to semi-automated vertical farms, this technology increases plant density by 67% and doubles monthly yield and revenue.*

The iFarm StackGrow technology utilizes the Flood & Drain hydroponic system, which involves periodically flooding the plant roots with a specialized nutrient solution.

The vertical farm will use mineral wool as a substrate for the plants. In the future, Hygrow plans to replace it with synthetic foam made from biodegradable biopolymers and natural additives.

The robotic farm will have automated systems for planting, washing trays, and cutting plants. The only production processes that require manual labor are equipment maintenance and disinfection. Automation significantly reduces the number of farm staff and, therefore, operating costs. The annual savings on workers' salaries amount to approximately 370 thousand dollars.

According to Statista Market Insights, the Swiss salad and greens market is valued at $1.36 billion, which is significantly higher than the markets in other European countries like Austria ($0.40 billion) and Hungary ($0.24 billion). Salads and greens account for 29% of the total vegetable market in Switzerland. The vegetable market is expected to grow at a CAGR of +3.3% from 2024 to 2029.

*The calculation is for a vertical farm with a size of 500 m².