The Government is planning to create a vertical farming industry, not just one project, and it has already been revealed. Jason Hayward, the Minister for the Economy, unveiled the plan at a press conference today, saying that an announcement on the development will be made within weeks. The Government first revealed plans for a single vertical farm, in which plants are grown in climate-controlled towers, in November 2020.
There was little progress with the project until March, when Mr. Hayward said: “The vertical-farming facility is being acted upon, with a potential location for a large-scale vertical-farming facility under review and financial details in development.”
The project was earmarked as a key plank in the Government’s economic recovery plan after government consultant KPMG said it would be “likely to generate a significant socio-economic impact in the short and medium term.” Questioned about the project, Mr. Hayward said the Government was viewing vertical farming as being “a new industry, not just one vertical-farming project.”
He said: “If we can begin to utilize technology more so that we can have sustainable agricultural development and we can use the first vertical farm as a catalyst to expand the industry, it will have a wider impact than one single project.” He insisted that “significant work has been done” on the proposal and that “we will move full steam ahead with the execution and implementation.”
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