In an 8.8-meter-tall automated vegetable factory in Chengdu, Sichuan province, rows of lettuce bathe in red light on 20-layer cultivation racks and grow at twice the normal rate. The vertical farm, covering just 100 square meters, was developed by the Institute of Urban Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It can produce up to 50 metric tons of lettuce annually. “The factory enables full control over light, temperature, water, nutrients and air. The entire production process, from seeding and transplanting to harvesting and packaging, is handled by robots,” said staff member Shi Xianglian. The growth cycle for lettuce is only 30 to 35 days – half the time needed in traditional open field farming – while yield per unit area can reach up to 120 times that of conventional methods. With soilless cultivation in a sterile environment, the system eliminates pests and diseases, ensuring the produce is free of heavy metals, chemical additives and pesticide residues, Shi added.
Wang Sen, Researcher at the Institute, said a core technology of the vertical farm is the use of artificial light to ensure efficient photosynthesis. He explained that LED lights are used to offer specific “recipes” – varying in color, intensity and duration – to suit different plant species and growth stages. After years of research, the Institute has developed over 1,300 light formulas. “Despite the high production efficiency, operating costs remain a bottleneck,” Wang said, noting that electricity for artificial lighting and temperature control accounts for about 70% of total operating expenses. “Currently, producing one kilogram of lettuce in such a facility costs between CNY10 and CNY15, significantly more than traditional methods,” he added. For now, commercialization of such a facility is economically viable only in densely populated cities with high consumption levels and low vegetable self-sufficiency. The Institute has also supported its partners in growing vegetables in converted shipping containers in the desert around the deep-water port of Doha in Qatar. “Multiple companies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have reached out to us in recent years to explore cooperation in this field,” Wang said.
Domestically, a partnership was signed at the end of last year with a company in Hong Kong to establish a vertical farm. Set to begin operations in the second half of 2026, it will produce vegetables and conduct agricultural study programs. Beyond vegetables, vertical farming technology is being applied to higher-value crops to achieve commercial viability. In Wenjiang district of Chengdu, a 2,300-square-meter vertical strawberry farm with 11 layers began operations in July and yielded its first harvest in September. Its annual output can reach 73 tons, which is 30 to 40 times that of conventional open field strawberry farming, the China Daily reports.
