Rapid growth on farms of non-food crops

UK - A five-fold increase in UK biofuel sales has seen a rapid growth in non-food crop production on farms.

That is the conclusion from the two-year progress report ‘Creating Value From Renewable Materials: A strategy for non-food crops and uses’, launched by Defra and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The report, which reviews progress in the sector since the launch of the Non-Food Crops Strategy in November 2004, highlights the increases in the area and value of non-food crop production in the UK and also looks at priorities for the next three years and beyond.

“There has been clear progress in the way the UK produces and uses bio-energy and renewable materials,” said Andrew Perrins, head of the industrial crops division, Defra, launching the report at the National Non Food Crops Conference in York.

The report found the overall area of land taken up with non-food crop production in England had risen by 75 per cent between 2003 and 2005, while the number of farms growing non-food crops had increased by 20 per cent.

“In particular, there has been a fivefold increase in sales of biofuels in the UK between 2004 and 2005, with production of biodiesel increasing at a similar rate between 2003 and 2005.”

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Source: Farmers Guardian

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