Japanese company Toshiba has begun vegetable production in its 'clean room' farm and is aiming for an annual output of three million bags of lettuce and other leafy greens. 

The Toshiba Clean Room Farm in Yokosuka, near the capital Tokyo, is a technologically advanced plant factory in which crops are grown in almost completely sterile conditions.

Growing vegetables in such an environment minimizes the entry of germs, thus extending shelf-life and boosting the freshness of vegetables - a concern for retailers of cut vegetables and salads.

The bags will include leaf lettuce, baby leaf greens, spinach, mizuna and herbs per year, with an annual sales target of ¥300 million (US$2.7 million).

Sales will be promoted to supermarkets, convenience stores, delicatessens and restaurants.

The high-tech factory is equipped with a flourescent lights that have an output wavelength optimized for vegetable growth, air conditioning systems that maintain constant temperature and moisture level, remote monitoring systems to track growth, and sterilization systems for packing materials.

In order to increase sales in this new business, Toshiba is also considering construction of a large-scale plant factory outside Japan along with sale of equipment for plant factory applications within the 2014 financial year.

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