The wet summer of 2013 alongside weather-related problems in Spain saw pressure put on profits at LFP, with margins down thanks to the bad trading on imported produce.
However, the company has stated recently that it is committed to spending millions on new equipment and machinery.
The reason is that the majority of the investment has been on technical innovation, such as large tractors, so the farm can plant when the ground is frozen or waterlogged.
Also, vehicles have been fitted with GPS to ensure the most efficient use of pesticides and fertilisers.
The company was created in 1997 when owners Robin Hancox, Martin Tate and Aubrey Day bought the LW Van Geest Farms business and branded it Lincolnshire Field Products. The investment has been steady but cautious, says the company, and always for a good reason. For example, its new high-humidity cold store for vegetables allows it to stock perishable vegetables for longer so there is always availability for customers.
The firm has also invested heavily in distribution, and its fleet of 250 articulated lorries are all refrigerated so that produce arrives in the best condition.
Money is currently being invested in the farm site. A system for capturing rainwater from the buildings is being installed, and three new lagoons, which can contain a total of 20,000 cubic metres of water, are due to be completed over the next year or so.
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