A MULTI-MILLION pound mushroom farm in Littleport that is producing more than 100 tonnes of mushrooms every week has been hailed as an “exemplar” of modern farming.

Cambs Times: Tour of the new May Farm in Littleport by councillors from East Cambridgeshire District CouncilTour of the new May Farm in Littleport by councillors from East Cambridgeshire District Council (Image: Archant)

May Farm, in Mildenhall Road, was opened last year following a large investment from G’s Growers of Barway and Ely-based Produce Global Solutions.

The site houses a state-of-the-art mushroom growing facility and an anaerobic digester which converts waste plant and vegetable material into 2.5 MW of electricity for the farm and other areas of the business every year.

Plans for the farm were initially met with resistance from neighbouring businesses, who claimed the increased traffic, noise and smell would be a nuisance.

This week, G’s invited East Cambridgeshire District Councillors and officials round the factory to get a flavour of how far the farm, which employs more than 150 staff, has developed.

Cllr Peter Moakes, chairman of the development and transport committee, said: “It is truly an eye opening place which is creating over 160 full time jobs thanks to a multi million pound investment by the company.

“As an area of the country which has agriculture in it’s DNA - it was fascinating to see how technology is leading this sector of our economy forward.

“We were all impressed at the way the facility works in harmony with the local environment and I am sure in the years to come it will be held up as an exemplar of how a sustainable rural economy should operate in the 21st century.”