Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minster of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries visits Thanet Earth
On Thursday 2 March we were delighted to welcome the Minster of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Mark Spencer to Thanet Earth for a tour of the site.
The Minister met with Chris Butler the MD of Thanet Earth and Rob James, Technical Director before being taken on an extensive tour of the site.
The tour started with a visit to our packhouse so the Minister could witness first-hand the investments we continue to make in automation, this was followed by visits with Pleun Van Malkenhorst, Growing Director to 3 glasshouses to see the tomatoes, peppers and cucumber crops.
The Minister said “I would like to thank Thanet Earth for the opportunity to visit their cutting-edge glasshouses and meet the people working hard to put food on our shelves. Our domestic horticulture sector is crucial to the resilience of our food system and the wider economy which is why the government is working to support the sector through current challenges and help to seize the opportunities of innovation into the future.”
Chris Butler commented, “It was important not only for us to show the Minister the work we are doing here at Thanet Earth, but also to have discussions about the challenges our industry is currently facing, in particular around managing energy costs, retaining a highly skilled seasonal workforce and future government support to help grow the sector.”