Puffin Produce Ltd, a farmer owned business based in Pembrokeshire, has been awarded £4.1 million from the Welsh processing and marketing grant scheme.
The scheme is funded by the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is financed by the Welsh Government and the European Union.
This has formed part of a total company investment of more than £8m to expand and modernise the business.
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes Alun Davies, visited the vegetable producer to see how investment is being made to boost the Welsh horticulture sector.
The grant will allow Puffin to increase the capacity and efficiency of their potato business, whilst also allowing them to supply significant amounts of other vegetables to major supermarkets across the UK. In addition, it will help the company minimise its environmental impact and save money by reducing energy consumption, water usage and waste.
Puffin has previously received business support and advice from the Welsh government which has been a contributing factor in them supplying potatoes to supermarkets in Wales.
Some 90 per cent of their current production of potatoes and vegetables are supplied to ASDA, Waitrose and M&S stores across Wales, which includes its premium brand Blas Y Tir-branded potatoes and vegetables.
Davies said: “This investment presents a great opportunity to add significant value to the horticulture sector in Wales and rural community in Pembrokeshire.
“Although Pembrokeshire has a proud heritage in producing potatoes and vegetables, in recent decades crops have declined as supermarkets get their supply from the East of the UK. An increased capacity and efficiency for Puffin will give all involved in the horticulture sector in Wales the opportunity to re-establish the sector here, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the rural community as a whole.
“Puffin are the only company who have the facilities to grow, store, pack and distribute its produce from a facility in Wales and it is great to come here today and see how Wales is being put back on the map for high quality produce that people from across the whole of the UK can enjoy.”
Huw Thomas, general manager of Puffin Produce, added: “This is a huge step forward for Puffin Produce and its network of growers. The portfolio of support we have received from the Welsh Government’s Food, Fisheries and Market Development Division has been outstanding. In 2009 we won two True Taste Awards and developed an ambitious marketing plan with the help of a Welsh Government funded programme.
The project has a total eligible expenditure £8.4m and was awarded a grant of up to £4.1m from the Welsh government’s processing and marketing grant.
Puffin have received support from the Welsh Government Horticulture Programme, the Going for Growth Market Review and Plan support scheme and Cywain.
The business employs 55 staff, all based in Pembrokeshire and some 27,000 tonnes of potatoes are packed annually, and they provide a seasonal supply of cauliflower, Savoy cabbage, swede and daffodils.
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