An Atherton Tablelands farmer who invested in a 2,000 sqm greenhouse to grow capsicums year-round talks about the costs, challenges and rewards of going undercover in the tropics.
In this 6.5-minute interview, the mixed-cropping farmer who recently bought and set up a protected-cropping facility, enabling him to grow capsicums through record-breaking summer heat and ‘wild’ weather, discusses the pros and cons of growing greenhouse vegies in Far North Queensland with ABC journo Arlie Felton-Taylor.
Already, the 2,000 square-metre facility, in which thousands of compact capsicums are being grown hydroponically in a pressed-coconut-fibre substrate, has weathered tropical storms and invasions by aphids, caterpillars and (more welcome) bees. Now, its first capsicum crop is almost ready for harvest.
Is the labour-intensive start-up phase and considerable capital outlay paying off? Download and tune in to find out.
Source: Covered capsicums pay dividends (3.00 MB) I ABC Rural Queensland Country Hour, Fri 21 Feb 2020