In Bibione, asparagus in February
Anticipate the harvesting season of asparagus by two months with obvious marketing benefits. It may sound like pie in the sky, but, actually, it’s a reality economically sustainable if biomass is used. Asparagus is harvested from April 15 to May 30, season with the mildest climate that promotes natural growth of the shoot. In just a few weeks, they all grow together and are introduced into the market almost simultaneously, with a price trend which starts from very high rates during the first days, followed by fast price reduction due to the high amounts of produce further available on the market. An anticipated harvest has, obviously, multiple economical benefits whereas artificial production has sustainable costs.
FARMERS COOPERATIVE CALLS UNICONFORT FOR HELP
This idea came to the members of Farmers Cooperative in Bibione, that operate in the field of agricultural production sector just a few kilometres from the sea, in Bibione, Province of Venice. The third manufacturer of solid biomass boilers in the world has also called Uniconfort for help and together we designed a plant that uses very low-cost fuels: an experience unique in Italy, that allows harvesting first asparagus in February.
BIOMASS MAKES THIS POSSIBLE!
A boiler fueled with wood chips with a power of 700 kW produces hot water that feeds an underground circuit installed at 5 centimetres from asparagus roots, for a total of five hectars of cultivated terrain. In this way, the ground temperature can be maintained at 35° C hence enabling a significant anticipation of harvesting season. The wood chips used to fuel the boiler, 250 kilograms per hour, is purchased at low prices by a cooperative that obtains it from forest maintenance and enables reducing energy costs more than three times and amortization of investment in only five years.
PUBLIC FINANCING
This initiative was also approved by the EU which, through the Rural Development Programme and thanks to the collaboration with Veneto Agricoltura, has distributed grants that covered about 40% of the investment.
THE RESULT
Now in Bibione harvesting is possible from February 20 to April 1: 430 kilograms of asparagus per season that are mainly sold to large supermarket chains, at prices twice the normal rate.
AND NOT JUST ASPARAGUS...
Uniconfort is not a newcomer when it comes to this kind of experiences. In France, Uniconfort boilers are used to heat greenhouses in which grow all year round cantaloupe seedlings owned by the French producer of this fine fruit; also in Ireland, the more was prolonged the harvesting season, the higher the savings obtained: the greenhouses for mushroom cultivation are heated at zero costs by burning the bed in which they grow.
PLANT SPECIFICATION
- Boiler model: CMT
- Heat output: 700 kWt
- RDP contribution: 40 %