Slovenia launches major greenhouse project expected to create 50 jobs

Two years after plans were first set out for Slovenia's largest veggie-growing greenhouse project, work has finally started on the ground in Dobrovnik, a municipality on the border with Hungary.

Spanning 22 hectares of land, the Green Gardens development is planned in four stages. The first phase, slated for completion by the end of 2027, is estimated at €74 million and is expected to create some 50 jobs, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

It will encompass 3.4 hectares of growing surfaces and two hectares of warehouses, refrigeration facilities and a packing facility. The other three phases will be developed in tune with market demand.

The harvesting procedure will be highly automated, requiring no manual labour.

Initially, production is set to focus on baby leaf greens. Matej Bandelj, CEO of Green Gardens, says the plants will be grown pesticide-free, using renewable energy, rainwater and groundwater.

Bandelj expects the production to reach about 12 tonnes a day. "If we sold everything in Slovenia, we'd meet 20% of domestic demand," he told an event last week launching utility infrastructure construction for the facility.

However, the company plans to sell the produce both in Slovenia and abroad.

It expects to create an additional 100 jobs in the second phase when it also plans to start relying on geothermal energy.

This is a resource that the northeastern region of Prekmurje is known for, although much of its potential remains untapped.

Nearby, an orchid growing business and a tomato growing company already rely on geothermal energy.

The local community has welcomed the project because of its sustainable character, which is seen as particularly important in view of climate change.

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