In the last season (2012/13) the production of Greenhouse Crops in Almeria arrived to 2,6 Tons equivalent to 1.528 Millions Euros; what means a decrease 3% in the commercial operations volume that was compensated with 17% increase in the prices and the 13% of total incomes (COEXPAL, 2013). The greenhouse farms production in Almeria has an important export focus. The sales to foreign markets was near 70% (Aznar et al. 2013), with Germany, France, Netherlands and UK as the main markets this production.
Even though all these incomes and enormous export figures, there is a process of decrease in farmers incomes. Mean incomes per hectare are decreasing in long term, mainly because the decrease of prices (Fundación Cajamar 2012).
We see a business opportunity in improving some of the process involved in the production of Greenhouse ( In Almería we have 24000 Ha of Greenhouses and 12000 farmers). We will propose a product to increase efficiency of management of the Greenhouse reducing the time employed by different actors (owner, farmer, technician) involved in the process of production.
Now the farmer has to monitor and control on site the parameters (temperature, humidity, water, etc) of the Greenhouse, and the technician has to check that the production process is according the best practices.
Finally there is a security problem because many of the Greenhouses remain isolated. This produces a problem of additional cost because robberies.
All these processes need to be more efficient to reduce costs.
The solution proposed to increase productivity will have the following components:
• Outsourcing to the Cloud of monitoring and control of the production of the Greenhouse. This will be done by means of the services created with FI Ware enablers..
• It is a SaaS, pay per use service, that lets to consider potential customer to any farmer with their own solution of sensors.
• Connection to the B2B data base, publish in open Marketplace, receive análisys and advices possible actions about GH Parameters
• Tools for farmers based in easy app in smartphones with access to the Greenhouse parameters stored in the Cloud
• Update sensor technology, using new Zigbee, Zwave technology instead of the present wired old sensors, and new monitoring and control algorithm. This solution is already developed by EyZa.
The solutions and ideas developed in the region will also be easily replicated to other greenhouses in different areas of Spain and Europe, with a significant effect on the overall economy and well being of European citizens
Project partners:
EYZA TECHNOLOGY
WAIRBUT S.A.
Servicios Empresariales y Tecnológicos Integrados, SL