Job losses as farm research company ADAS announces site closure
About 20 jobs are expected to be lost after environment and rural development company ADAS has announced plans to close its site at Terrington St Clement.
The Terrington site, which includes 278 acres and farm buildings, is one of six across the UK which the firm uses for commercial farming and research work.
It is the only one to be closed completely, and is due to be sold off by DEFRA, which owns the land.
ADAS, which rented the farm since 1997, blamed the closure on falling profits and less demand for its crop research, which included cereals, oilseed and sugar beet. Until recently the farm also ran a pig research unit.
In a statement ADAS said some of the 21 employees at Terrington could lose their jobs, but hoped some would find other roles within the company.
While it will no longer run the farm, it indended to carry on its research in the area, possibly in conjunction with new land owners, it added.
“The life of the pig farm has now expired,” Collin Speller, ADAS group managing director. said.
Rather than being constrained by the conditions at Terrington’s relatively small site, the company wanted to find a range of sites across the UK, including Norfolk and Lincolnshire, he added.
Work will continue at the farm until it is put on the market at Easter and sold.
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