11
F
Bardsley
f
arms
F
tonnes in 2015 to an estimated20,000 tonnes for the 2017
season. Since 2015, £5.1million has been invested in upgrading
the pre-sizer, packing lines, robotic handling equipment, DCA
storage, office andwelfare facilities at
r
iver
f
arm. BenBardsley
told the invited audience that the
r
iver
f
armpacking operation
has the capacity tomanage 40,000 tonnes.
The development of the packing and storage complex from a
relativelymodest facility typical of a large fruit farm into one
capable of serving the needs of 30 growers in the locality, is part
of a five-stage planwith the first three stages fully operating one
year aheadof the 2018 target date.
Bardsley
f
arms hosts aKent hub for Greenyard
f
resh,
supplyingTesco, Morrisons, M&S, Aldi and theCo-
o
pwith
apples, pears and apricots and, viaMaidstone-basedDirect
ProduceSupplies (DPS), apricots andplums toTesco andAldi.
BenBardsley’s vision for the packhouse, storage, office space
andwelfare suitewere deliveredon time and ready for the 2017
season. Ben praised
w
ealdenAMwho supplied the steel-framed
buildings and the projectmanagement expertise.
Central to
h
elenGrant’s visit was a tour of the packing and
storage complex that was completed in 2017, adding an office
andwelfare suite to the facilities. The newpre-sizer andpacking
lines, supportedby robots, eliminatesmuch of the labour cost,
which, Ben emphasises, is central to future success. A 30per
cent reduction in the labour cost per kilogram has already been
achievedover the last two years, andBen is optimistic that this
can be increased to 50per cent when the final stages of the five-
T
he
frui
TG
rower
•
D
e
C
e
MB
er
2017
