Hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, heaters… Dyson is renowned for its extensive range of household appliances, but much less for its ambitions in agriculture. And yet. The British giant operates one of the most impressive strawberry farms in the United Kingdom.
A huge greenhouse in the heart of England
Indeed, James Dyson made an unexpected shift into agriculture in 2013, tapping into his passion for engineering. With nearly 140 million pounds (169 million euros) invested since this period, Dyson Farming today cultivates on an area of 14,570 hectares in total.
The firm quickly became one of the champions of British agriculture. In 2023, it not only consolidated its position in the top five national producers – wheat, malting barley, oilseeds, peas and potatoes – but also raked in a profit of £5.2 million, marking an increase of 10 % compared to the previous financial year.
One of the spearheads of its ambitions is a farm of more than 10 hectares entirely dedicated to growing strawberries. Located in Lincolnshire, in the east of England, this giant greenhouse is 760 meters long and has 1,456 rows and 1,225,000 strawberry plants. Objective: to produce 1,250 tonnes of strawberries each year for British consumers.
“Growing quality strawberries on this scale, sustainably and out of season, requires not only technological innovations, but also the expertise and experience of people who are passionate about producing quality strawberries,” explains Angel Angelov, who runs the facility’s growers.
Technology concentrate
These growers are accompanied by around twenty robots developed by the company Dogtooth Tech, capable of picking 200 kilograms of fruit per day. The Dyson farm is a true concentrate of technology. The firm also uses sensors to measure soil health and transmit that information directly to feeding machines, which ensure plants receive adequate nutrients.
For electricity, the company not only leverages renewable energy, but also an adjacent anaerobic digester, in which microorganisms break down organic materials such as food waste to create fuel.
“ There is a real opportunity for agriculture to lead a technological revolution and vice versa. The increasingly symbiotic relationship between our technology activities and our farms will, I hope, lead to innovative new approaches to sustainability and performance », Estimates James Dyson.
As a reminder, Dyson is experiencing a significant period of turbulence which led, in July, to the dismissal of around 1,000 of its employees.
- Dyson is also present in the agricultural sector.
- In the United Kingdom, the company operates a huge farm dedicated to growing strawberries.
- The installation is a concentrate of technology, notably with robots that accompany human farmers.
