Thanet Earth has reported that work on its fifth greenhouse is nearing completion and it will shortly be filled with young cucumber plants.
The fifth greenhouse will take Thanet Earth up to nearly 75 per cent of its planned production, having increased in stages since 2009. The first crops from the latest expansion are expected to be ready in January 2017.
Thanet Earth made the decision to invest on the back of figures showing that since 1990 there has been a 61 per cent decrease in UK cucumber hectarage. Despite severe retail price pressure, the company believes its efficient growing methods make the crop sustainable.
So-called ‘Greenhouse 5’ is 6.35ha and is equipped with electricity-generating capacity. It features high-wire growing techniques, sodium light-assisted growing and diffuse glass with anti-reflection, among other technologies. It also sends nothing to landfill, with green waste sent to local farms as cattle feed and compost.
As with the existing greenhouses, the new production facility will make use of rainwater capture and biological pest control to maintain the site’s environmental credentials. It will also increase the electricity-generating capacity of the site overall to 24MW, which is enough to power 30,000 homes.
Des Kingsley, managing director at Thanet Earth, said: “For us to be helping reverse the decline in UK production and to keep this vital industry injected with new investment is very important for Thanet Earth.
“Consumers much prefer to buy British-grown crops, but if the downward trend in planted area continues then we risk British cucumbers becoming the rarity and not the norm on shelf. Facilities like Thanet Earth are the future for UK salad production, with scale and efficiency at our heart. We strive to be a centre of excellence providing much needed employment and opportunity, producing market-leading salad crops every day of the year.”
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