Malawi greenhouse farm expands year-round production
Source: HD.com
The operation produces more than 20 tonnes of tomatoes, 10 tonnes of bell peppers, 24,000 watermelons and 24,000 butternut squash monthly, according to the company. Its 16 one-hectare greenhouses are supported by automated irrigation and fertigation, boreholes, a packing house and cold-storage facilities.
© Nyasa Times The farm currently employs 130 Malawians and operates under a local management team. Its investors say the project is contributing to import substitution, export earnings, employment and skills development, while supplying supermarkets, hotels, wholesalers and other local markets.
The project, first conceived in 2018, is being presented by its operators as an example of public-private collaboration in commercial horticulture. Inosselia executives said the results had exceeded initial expectations and could provide a model for further investment in Malawi's agricultural sector.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
