MAFF and EU cash boosts rural pot plants
11 March 1998
MAFF and EU cash boosts rural pot plants
By FWi staff
A POT plant business in Lincolnshire has received £1.7 million from the European Union, government and private investors to safeguard jobs and boost the local economy.
Two businesses in rural Lincolnshire were yesterday given £2.3 million under the European Unions funding initiative known as Objective 5b, which allocates money to areas in dire need of development.
P A Moerman, the largest single producer of pot plants in the UK, received £1.7 million to build a factory extension. The new building will create and safeguard a further 112 jobs and enable the company to source more flowers from local growers. The company already employs over 240 people and produces 12 million pot plants a year.
A further £640,000 was given to Lincolnshires first Fun Farm, an indoor farm tourism venture in Weston which educates and entertains young children with a farm theme.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the European Union both contributed £226,940 to the projects, while private investors chipped in £1,988,663.