Farmers and landowners in the eastern counties wanting to maximise returns from marginal land will be presented with the case for considering miscanthus, an energy crop that’s seeing unprecedented interest form UK growers.
Speaking at the CLA breakfast, held at the Lincolnshire Show on Wednesday 22 June, is George Robinson, miscanthus expert and managing director of miscanthus supply chain specialist, Terravesta, the company co-hosting the event.
Terravesta works with miscanthus growers across the UK, offering complete grow and buy back contracts, to produce and process sustainable fuel for power generation.
Miscanthus is already grown on over 8,000 hectares of marginal land across the UK, and it’s proving to be a popular choice for those wanting to add to their income with minimal crop inputs.
“A profitable, low-maintenance crop that’s both reliable and sustainable, miscanthus can deliver yields of 15 tonnes per hectare once established,” comments George. “The upcoming CLA breakfast is a chance to see how the crop can deliver security, peace of mind and an assured RPIX linked income for 10 years, and a crop life of 20+ years.”
George Robinson says that a key benefit to the crop is that it’s very low maintenance. “The rhizome recycles nutrients from the stems throughout the growing season, so no fertiliser is needed to achieve high yields.”
Terravesta is at the forefront of miscanthus research, expanding markets and is currently working on making the crop more efficient, getting more energy per hectare and developing new varieties to enable miscanthus to be grown from seed.
To book a place at the breakfast visit: , emaileast@cla.org.uk, or call the CLA East Regional Office on 01638 590429.
