[November 06, 2009] NEC Biglobe to launch rental farm services using Internet Tweet TOKYO, Nov 06, 2009 (Kyodo News International - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Internet service provider NEC Biglobe Ltd. said Friday it will launch rental farm services using idled farms and the Internet early next year. The company plans to set up Internet cameras in the farms that will allow rental farm users to watch growing vegetables through personal computers or mobile phones at home. Farming experts will be made available for consulting services via the Internet. Idled farms in Japan total as much as 390,000 hectares, while 2 million people are using rental farms on the back of growing public awareness of safer food. "We would like to expand the services to 60 farms and sales to 1 billion yen in three years," NEC Biglobe President Hisao Iizuka said. Monthly rent is planned at 3,980 yen per 7.5 square meters. In addition, any user will have to pay 10,000 yen in registration fee. NEC Biglobe began to receive subscriptions Friday in a bid to open rental farms in February 2010. To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com Copyright (c) 2009, Kyodo News International, Tokyo Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]