United Kingdom
October 20, 2014
A unique saltwater prawn hatchery, new machinery to help all-year-round production of fresh flowers and support for a gluten-free oat mill are just a few of the projects being funded by the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative.
Mark Reeve, Chairman of the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP), explains: “We are pleased to be providing grant funding to such a wide range of projects. Our Initiative has already committed over £1.5 million of grant funding into the local area, but there is still so much more we can achieve. I look forward to making even more funding announcements in the near future.”
£300,000 has been invested into the Agri-Tech industry across the East of England thanks to the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative.
The four projects that have received funding are as follows:
A new oat mill, packing plant and store for Glebe Farm Foods Ltd – Kings Ripton, Huntingdon – Glebe Farm Foods is a leading manufacturer of gluten-free food for sufferers of food intolerances. The project will create a new second-generation gluten free oat mill with the funding being used to purchase and install the process plant which will clean, dehull, post-process, and mill or palletise the oats.
Rebecca Rayner, from Glebe Farm, said: “We are delighted that we have received the grant and it will help us achieve our objectives to improve facilities here.”
A new hatchery for Park Farm Prawns Ltd – Near Stowmarket, Suffolk – The funding will be used to support an innovative research and development project to establish a hatchery for saltwater prawns, which project developers believe is the first of its kind in the UK
“We’re delighted to receive this award,” says Sue Turnbull, of Park Farm Prawns, “The hatchery is an essential part of our continuing programme producing premium, super-fresh prawns here in Suffolk, in a sustainable environment. The award enables us to take a significant step forward, and will create employment.”
All year round cut flowers at JA Collison & Sons – Near King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Collison is one of the largest cut flower growers in the UK with 13 acres of glasshouses and polythene tunnels that allow year round production of a range of different flowers. The funding will be used to purchase, install and commission a fully automatic robotic flower processing and bunching line. The machine will improve production efficiency across Collison’s three most labour intensive crops, freeing up staff time to increase production and take on more on-farm packing work to add value to its products.
Ian Collison, from Collison & Sons, said: ‘This funding will make a huge difference to our business, improving our competitiveness against imported flowers. We are a growing business in a developing market sector and this grant will allow us to make the most of opportunities to expand our business and create employment. It will also offer our existing staff new skills and challenges and enable us to reward them for their hard work in getting us to where we are today.
“Horticulture in the UK needs to keep investing in new technology such as this to maintain efficiency and competitiveness and it is fantastic to be supported in taking our business forward in this way.’
Improving potato storage at Nelson County Ltd – North Norfolk – Nelson County are successful potato farmers based in North Norfolk who supply much of their produce to the crisp industry. To enable year round supply potatoes have to be stored to deter sprouting.
With anticipated policy changes, some of the current storage methods will no longer be allowed, therefore Nelson County will undertake a research project in collaboration with the John Innes Centre (Norwich) to investigate the potential to reduce levels of current agents used to deter sprouting in stored potatoes to provide new opportunities for safe and controlled potato storage.
Dan Hewitt, from Nelson County, said: “We have been impressed that our company, at the grassroots of agriculture, can apply and be successful in securing funding from the Eastern Agri-Tech Initiative. The funding not only provides immediate funding, but also support, confidence and the opportunity to network with like-minded people. Since our successful application we have already made contact with another Agri-Tech business and are looking at ways in which we can work together.”
Leader in agricultural technology
Bev Spratt, Chairman of the Economic Development Sub-Committee at Norfolk County Council, said that it was great to see farmers and producers developing new ideas in order to maintain the region’s reputation as a leader in agricultural technology.
The grants are available to those looking to invest in new market and supply chain development, ways to improve productivity and efficiency, and the progression, application and commercialisation of Research and Development. The project is funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. You can find out more by visiting www.agritechgrants.co.uk or calling 01480 277180.
Topics
Species
