The newly formed Sustainable Development Office in Kennett Township is working on bringing a global indoor agriculture center to Chester County, writes Richard Gaw for the Chester County Press.

To achieve this, the office has reached out to Pegasus Agriculture Group, a global leader in hydroponic agriculture. The Dubai-based operator and owner of indoor farming facilities has expressed its desire to enter the U.S. market through creating a global indoor agriculture production, research, training, and innovation center on the East Coast.

With the full support from the local mushroom industry, as well as local leaders, SDO member Michael Guttman gave a presentation at the second annual Indoor Ag-Con Asia on Jan. 25 in Singapore.

During the presentation, Guttman pointed out that southern Chester County is already the largest indoor agriculture center in the country. It produces 50 percent of the nation’s mushroom crop, and distributes around 1.5 million pounds of product nationwide each day.

Mahmood Almas, founder and chairman of Pegasus, said the township’s initiative is both visionary and practical.

“Kennett, unlike most other areas, can leverage the extensive infrastructure of its historic indoor agriculture industry,” he said. “That makes all the difference to Pegasus.”

Read more about the initiative in the Chester County Press here, and check out VISTA Today’s previous coverage of Kennett Township’s attempt to bring a global indoor agriculture center to Chester County here.