Vining pea for frozen processed market (Eastern England, United Kingdom)

The case study deals with the vining pea value chain. Particular emphasis is given to the issues associated with intensive production in limited geographic areas of the UK in close proximity to processing factories; the requirement for high quality produce; requirements for strict factory scheduling.

An existing EIP-Agri project studies the effects of cover crops in vining pea rotations to improve soil health, soil structure and soil organic matter content, and improve yields. Vining peas are grown intensively in eastern England and Scotland, to ensure timely access to processing factories. This results in intensive production, often impacting on soil structure which exacerbates development of soil-borne diseases in peas (root-rots), causing severe yield reductions. The project will establish a series of field trials incorporating different cover crop species, and measure indicators of soil health, to provide information and systems to mitigate the effects of intensive pea production. EIP Agri focus groups have identified long term management of soil organic matter as a priority, with use of cover crops and bio-fumigant crops for soil pathogen control.               

The Operational Group includes 4 farmers who are part of the largest vining pea group in the UK (Green Pea Company), Birds Eye UK Ltd. (UK largest pea processor) and PGRO as the research organisation. In addition to the provision of data from the EIP-Agri project, we will have access to the wider expertise of the Green pea Company growers and Birds Eye UK processors. The LegValue project will give the opportunity to deepen the value chain study for the whole vining pea industry.