Dyson: Hairdryers, Heaters and… Strawberries ?

© Dyson

Hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, heaters… Dyson is known 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 towards agriculture in 2013, taking advantage of his passion for engineering. With nearly £140 million invested since then, Dyson Farming now farms a total of 14,570 hectares.

The firm has quickly established itself as 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 made a profit of £5.2 million, marking a 10% increase on the previous 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 metres long and has 1,456 rows and 1,225,000 strawberry plants. The aim is 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,” says Angel Angelov, who leads the growers at the facility.

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© Dyson

Concentrated technology

These growers are accompanied by about 20 robots developed by the company Dogtooth Tech, capable of picking 200 kilograms of fruit per day. Dyson’s farm is a true concentration of technology. The firm also uses sensors to measure the health of the soil and transmit this information directly to the feeding machines, which ensure that the plants receive adequate nutrients.

For electricity, the company harnesses not only renewable energy but also an adjacent anaerobic digester, in which microorganisms break down organic matter 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 businesses and our farms will, I hope, lead to innovative new approaches to sustainability and performance ,” says James Dyson.

As a reminder, Dyson is going through 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 concentration of technologies with, in particular, robots that accompany human growers.

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