A subsidiary of Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Takumi Ubagai), Mitsubishi Plastics Agri Dream Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Atsushi Obayashi; hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) is engaged in business in sunlight type plant factories. It has established a joint venture with Wuxi Sanyang Ecology Agricultural Development Limited Company (Head office: Wuxi, Jiangsu Province; hereinafter referred to as “Wuxi Sanyang”), which is a subsidiary of the Jiangsu Supply and Marketing General Cooperative (Head office: Nanjing, Jiangsu Province; hereinafter referred to as “China Co-op”), an agricultural cooperative active mainly in Jiangsu Province, China. Named “Wuxi Lingyang Green Agricultural System & Technology Co., Ltd.” (Head office: Wuxi, Jiangsu Province; hereinafter referred to as “Wuxi Lingyang”), the new joint venture is to serve as an office for sales of sunlight type  plant factories in China.

 Together with China Co-op, the Company constructed a proving facility measuring 1,000 m2 for a sunlight type  plant factory on the grounds of Wuxi Sanyang in Jiangsu Province in November 2011. Besides conducting cultivation tests with this facility, it promoted marketing through sales at local supermarkets. These activities confirmed wants and needs for vegetables grown in plant factories without agricultural chemicals against the background of rising awareness of food safety and security in China. It was consequently judged that business revolving around such factories would have good prospects for commercial viability. This led to the establishment of Wuxi Lingyang as a firm devoted to sales of solar powered plant factories and provision of post-sales technical services. The inaugural ceremony for the new company was held today.

 In the sunlight type plant factories sold by Wuxi Lingyang, cultivation begins with the growth of seedlings in Naeterasu, a completely closed seedling production facility using artificial light. The seedlings are later moved into a greenhouse made with high-performance film (covering material) installed with Napperland, a system for hydroponic cultivation of leaf vegetables such as spinach, garland chrysanthemum, potherb mustard, mustard spinach, and bok-choy. As compared to conventional cultivation in soil, the system enables stable production of a large quantity of high-quality vegetables without use of agricultural chemicals.

 For the future, Wuxi Lingyang intends to develop business in all parts of China, from the coastal regions to the inland ones, by making effective use of the know-how for cultivation in plant factories accumulated by the Company over a long period in Japan as well as the far-flung sales network and trust of agriculture-related parties that are the assets of China Co-op. It is targeting sales to managers of agricultural businesses and related parties at a total of 50 sites by the end of 2017.
 In September of this year, the Company plans to build a plant factory on a scale of 3,000 m2, large enough for full-fledged sales to customers, on the grounds of Wuxi Sanyang. This plant will serve as a model case for business operation and proposal to customers.

 The Mitsubishi Plastics Group is working for the spread of next-generation agribusiness for supply of safe, secure, and high-quality vegetables to customers inside and outside Japan, in keeping with our aspiration to help make the KAITEKI society advocated by the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group a reality.

 [Outline of the new company]
Name: Japanese: 無錫菱陽生態農業設施科技有限公司
Chinese: 无锡菱阳生态农业设施科技有限公司
English: Wuxi Lingyang Green Agricultural System & Technology Co., Ltd.
Address: 99 Furong Zhongsan Rd., Xishan Economic Development Zone, Wuxi
Date of establishment: May 28, 2014
Paid-in capital: CNY 5.6 million (about JPY 100 million)
Shareholders: Mitsubishi Plastics Agri Dream Co., Ltd. (60%)
Wuxi Sanyang Ecology Agricultural Development Limited Company (40%)
Representatives: Atsushi Obayashi, Chairman; Takeyuki Nakai, President
Business: Sales of plant factory cultivation systems
Sales of repeat materials (seeds, fertilizer, and cultivation media)

[President Ubagai speaking at the inaugural ceremony]

[Seeding Terrace, the closed facility for seedling production using artificial light]

 

[Napperland, the soilless cultivation system for leaf vegetables]

 

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