Yorkshire agriculture industry gets multi-million pound green boost

The Yorkshire poultry industry has been given a multi-million pound boost with the intention to make food production more sustainable.

The £6m investment has been announced by Yorkshire Clydesdale Bank’s renewable and agricultural divisions. It has been used to acquire Richard Maxwell Limited and supply bespoke poultry sheds with renewable heating.

It is hoped that new boilers, operated by Biomass Group Limited, will be a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel systems, saving more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Trevor Coultan, managing director of Biomass Group Limited, said: “We are keen to lead a transition towards sustainability across the sector. We are dedicated to green solutions and are thrilled to be working with partners to bring down carbon emissions on the farm.”

Keith Wilson, head of renewable energy at Virgin Money which owns Yorkshire Clydesdale Bank, said: “As an entrepreneurial organisation that is committed to Net Zero, we believe we have an important role to play in supporting businesses seeking to transition to more sustainable energy.”

Brian Richardson, head of agriculture at Virgin Money, added: “The acquisition will make a real difference on the ground by providing renewable heat generation to large scale poultry producers, who are aware of the impact of fossil fuels to their climate emissions.”

He continued: “It is great for the sector, indicating the direction of what needs to be done to prepare for the future.”