Lincoln-based Branston awarded for its growers going green

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 15 May 2019

UPDATED: 15 May 2019

LOCAL potato supplier Branston was presented with an award this month at the IGD Tesco Business Update event held in London on 8 May.

Branston was presented with the ‘community award’, recognising the company’s work with the Tesco Sustainable Farming Group scheme and encouraging its growers to grow ‘cover crops’ over the winter in preparation for planting potatoes in the spring.

James Truscott, managing director at Branston, said:

“We are very pleased to have received the community award, as we have worked closely with our growers to encourage greater use of crop covers and we are constantly measuring the benefits.

“To motivate our growers, we gave them the opportunity to purchase up to 20 hectares worth of cover crop seed, subsidised by Tesco and ourselves, and have had growers across the country through Cornwall to East Anglia and Scotland involved in the scheme.”

Tesco created the scheme as part of its responsible sourcing strategy, which also includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 7% and improving water and biodiversity impacts from key agricultural regions.

Off-season cover crops have a range of environmental and agronomic benefits, including weed suppression, increased soil fertility and structure, greater on-farm biodiversity and reduction in soil erosion.

The crop cover is recommended to be drilled between August and early September, prior to the potato crop being planted in spring. Branston will be working with its growers to understand the carbon savings, using the Cool Farm Tool and plans to double the area of cover crops grown through the scheme this autumn.  

For more information about Branston, visit www.branston.com.

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