Archive Article: 2000/02/25
uDE Montfort Universitys plan to invest £6m to develop a single academic campus at Riseholme, Lincs, took another step forward with the purchase of a neighbouring unit – the 200ha (500-acre) Lodge Farm, Nettleham. This doubles the farm area at Riseholme and leaves the university clear to sell off its former site at Elms Farm, Caythorpe.
uFARMERS in the West Midlands are to benefit from a £120,000 grant awarded to Harper Adams University College, Shropshire, to develop ways of improving the areas livestock business competitiveness through the use of information technology. The cash – part of the MAFF Agricultural Development Scheme – will be used to encourage more co-operation, training, improved management and greater use of e-commerce to generate income.
MD Foods has reported a 91% rise in pre-tax profits to £8.1m for the year to Sept 1999, from sales which rose a third to £458m.
Increased throughput of liquid milk, mainly to supermarkets, and reduced procurement costs helped. The strong £ also boosted returns from imported butter and cheese.
Meanwhile, Irish food company Golden Vale reports underlying profits up 16% to l31m (£19m).
But its dairy business lost l700,000 due to falling commodity prices, compared with a l2m profit the previous year. *