Mexico: Dutch companies to invest over $200 million in automated greenhouse project
Source: VFD.com
Mexico: Dutch companies to invest over $200 million in automated greenhouse project Thanks! The companies, along with Dutch company Van der Hoeven, will invest $70 million in the first phase of the project.
The project will begin with an initial phase of US$70 million and aims to transform Galeana into a strategic hub for controlled-environment agriculture: the facilities will operate with fully automated systems and advanced lighting technology developed by Signify. The company operates in more than 70 countries and reported sales of US$6.7 million in 2025.
Van der Hoeven develops smart greenhouses capable of regulating their own climate through advanced automation, optimizing water and energy use in desert or extreme-climate regions. For the project in Nuevo Leon, the company is working in a strategic partnership with Alpine Green, an investment fund focused on scaling sustainable controlled-environment agriculture projects in emerging markets.
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.
