Imports of fresh fruit and veg through Sheerness - once the UK's leading terminal of its kind - have slumped dramatically.

Peel Ports, behind the imports, blames changes in packaging for the drop in fresh produce movements into Kent.

In 2003/4 more than one million tonnes of produce passed through the port.

But this has dropped to just 440,000 tonnes last year - and has already fallen a further 18 per cent this year.

Estates manager for Peel Ports, Richard Thornby, said: "Produce moves around the world these days in refrigerated containers whereas the port of Sheerness is geared towards palletised fruit - so the volumes which have moved through Sheerness have depreciated."

Project manager of the scheme, Matthew Loughlin from K2 Consultancy, believes the drop in volumes will mean trade won't remain at the port in the near future.

He said: "Peel has seen the decline in the produce business and need to fill that gap."

As well as fresh produce the port is one of the UK's major gateways for trade vehicles, accommodating nearly 350,000 a year or more.

It also moves almost half a million tonnes of general cargo and more than 400,000 tonnes of forest products, such as timber and wood.

Bosses at Peel say they are doing their utmost to keep existing business.

It is understood further applications will be put forward offsite to keep the port's car importing businesses.

That could be on Neats Road and Cullet Drive or at another site in Rushenden.

It comes as public consultation starts this week into Danish firm Vestas's announcement it wants to build a major offshore wind turbine factory on the site.

Vestas's option to lease the land at the docks would see more than 70 hectares of it transformed and up to 2,000 jobs created.

Mr Loughlin added: "Vestas provide a boost to the port and to rationalise the existing space they have to maintain as much business as they can."

Peel is preparing a planning application for Vestas which will be submitted around Christmas-time.