As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Clarke Willis is Chief Executive of Anglia Farmers Limited. The Agricultural company that is based in Horningham Thorpe, Colton have been members of the Chamber for over 8 years.
Clarke’s question to the Chancellor was:
“In East Anglia we now have vast tracks of prime land now being used to grow maize to feed AD (Anaerobic Digester) plants to produce gas which in turn producers electricity.
We have a number of large scale (50 acres plus) PV (photovoltaic panels) which again are being constructed on prime agricultural land and finally we have a straw pellet plant in the county which takes up to 50,000 tonnes of straw, uses energy to grind and then pellet the straw to be loaded on trucks to go to Drax power station to produce “green electricity”.
These projects would not be viable except with massive financial support through FiT’s which we all pay for in our utility bills.
On the other hand we are seeing global demand for food increasing which is leading to higher prices and shortages. We are net importers of most of the staple foods we eat and the continued growth of the global population will put massive strains on the supply chain.
We could produce more food. In Norwich we have world class crop and food research facilities but they cannot bring to market the innovative and sustainable developments they have because of the government / EU view on GM technology.”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
