Baroness Nicholson Inaugurates New DPD Ltd Laboratory to Support Global Date Palm Production, Including Iraq
Baltonsborough, Glastonbury – 20 June 2025
Baroness Emma Nicholson officially inaugurated the newly established laboratory at D.P.D. Limited (Date Palm Developments) on Friday, 20 June. Located in Baltonsborough near Glastonbury, the state-of-the-art facility represents a significant investment by DPD to strengthen its plant quarantine infrastructure and scale up production to meet surging global demand for disease-free, tissue-cultured date palms. DPD continue to export highest quality date palms to over 25 countries in the Middle east and beyond.
The inauguration follows DPD’s agreement to supply the Government of Iraq premium, tissue-cultured date palms as part of Iraq’s National Date Palm Rehabilitation Programme. This collaboration, approved by Iraq’s Council of Ministers, underscores DPD’s pivotal role in the region’s agricultural revitalisation.
Mr Ajitsingh Batra, Executive Vice President of DPD’s parent company, Atul Ltd. (India), travelled to the UK to attend the ceremony and gave a short opening speech sharing the distinguished history of the Atul Company since 1947, in which he thanked the guests and workforce of DPD for their creation of the really supportive community that underpins the success of DPD.
Mr. Batra highlighted the impact that DPD-supplied, micro propagated, true-to-type, Date Palm plants were creating, in arid regions across the world, on the livelihood of toiling farmers; combating desertification, reducing migration through creating sustainable eco-systems locally and generating rural employment, developing post-harvest food processing value chains, and helping to create national food & nutrition security.
Baroness Nicholson cut the ribbon to formally open the laboratory, joined by H.E. Mr Ali Mustafa Tajalli of Green Coast Nurseries, Fujairah, UAE.
Following the ceremony, Director Joanne Bayley led a guided tour of the facility for distinguished guests, including Baroness Nicholson, representatives from the UK Department for Business and Trade (West Country team), and IBBC representative Ashley Goodall.
Dr Avril Brackpool, Managing Director of DPD and the visionary leader of the company for over 25 years, welcomed attendees and expressed her appreciation for the continued support of the local community. She announced that the additional investment in new laboratory will enable DPD to expand its production capacity from 180,000 to 330,000 trees per year—strengthening the company’s global impact on sustainable agriculture.