An extended domestic season and better overall quality are key benefits from the recently-built Greenshoots onion store at Chatteris, according to Marc Heading, one of the members of the farmers’ cooperative which supplies Produce World with onions.
Marc, who farms in the Chatteris area, is one of five members of Greenshoots which grows around 20,000 tonnes of onions every year for Produce World. He says that the multi-million pound investment in the store at Chatteris marks a big step forward for the group.
He says: “We had been supplying out of bulk stores on-farm and many of these needed updating. We want to continue to grow and develop our business, and we saw an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art facility on the doorstep of Produce World’s factory at Chatteris which we decided to grasp with both hands. The store we have built gives us the best drying facilities, the best refrigeration, and the most efficient insulation.
“The result is that we can store and transport our onions more efficiently. This store should extend the season for UK onions by at least three weeks, which will reduce the need for imports. It will also improve the quality of onions going into the factory.”
The new store is capable of holding around 6500 tonnes – the equivalent of six-and-a-half million kilogramme bags– which is around a third of the cooperative’s total onion production. Around 60 per cent of the onions stored are brown and 40 per cent red.
Members of the Greenshoots cooperative have been working with Produce World for up to twenty-five years.
Matt Starbuck of Produce World says: “Greenshoots are a key partner for us and we are delighted that they have chosen to build this store next to our factory at Chatteris. It will help to ensure continuity of supply and contribute towards our continuing quest for the best possible service and product quality.”
A video interview with Marc Heading can be viewed here.
For more information, please visit www.produceworld.co.uk.