Maribeth S. Centino

VERTICAL FARMING IN THE PHILIPPINES Philippines start taking the innovation for agriculture from the traditional farming to vertical farming. But mostly, many engaged in hydroponic medium of farming. Today, there are more or less 15 vertical farms in the Philippines mostly based in urban areas. From the government down to businessmen and ordinary people are involved in this trend. FOR A SMALL STARTUP SOLE KICKSTART TO HYDROPONICS (J&G BACKYARD) Initial capital: Php2,000.00 (materials) Startup place:at home (backyard or terrace) (Outdoor type) Crops:LETTUCE Timeframe:3 weeks (from planting to harvesting) Sales:Php25.00 (each lettuce) x 115pcs = Php2,800.00 (once a week selling) (NOTE: The sales are really amazing) FOR A PARTNERSHIP STARTUP TO HYDROPHONICS (NXTLVL FARM) Initial Capital:$50,000.00 (materials, including the container van) Startup Place:A vacant lot that they owned, bought a container van (Indoor type) Farmbox holds over 10,000 plants and outputs the equivalent of 1 acre of land in 320sq. ft. Crops:LETTUCE, BASIL, ARUGULA that targets to supply restaurants, retailers and end consumers Timeframe:3 weeks (from planting to harvesting) Sales:Php90.00 per 100gms x 300kilos per month FOR A CORPORATION STARTUPS TO HYDROPONICS (URBAN GREENS HYDROPONIC SYTEM) Initial Capital: Startup Place:From an apartment setup to participating to a big event up to an own place Crops:Healthy greens that supplies hotels, restaurants and end consumers Timeframe: Sales: MY INSIGHT Since, the kind of business is not yet on a largescale, for me it is one great project to pursue. Growing and providing healthy food for every people. THE URBAN FARMING OPPORTUNITY Urban farming is an excellent investment opportunity for the following reasons: Large-scale B2B hydroponics have not yet been started in the Philippines. Urban farming is a worldwide trend with big investors jumping on board. The global hydroponics market is forecast to reach USD 27.33B by the end of 2020. Hydroponics is the fastest growing soilless farming practice around the world. All nearby countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia) in the region have already established hydroponics as a viable alternative to their traditional food production methods.