NFU Scotland has congratulated the innovative farming co-operative, Angus Cereals, on the official opening of Scotland’s first portside purpose-built grain storage and processing facility.
The Union believes the facility will provide much-needed flexible storage for co-op members and has the potential to help them add value to their crop.
The first phase of the Angus Cereal’s facility at Montrose will provide members with storage facilities for more than 25,000 tonnes of feed barley, malting barley and oilseed rape with plans to eventually provide storage capacity for 43,000 tonnes. As well as providing storage, it opens up opportunities for members in the way they market their grain, working exclusively with the established grain trader Openfield.
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, opened the co-op’s new grain and storage facility this afternoon (Wednesday, 3 August).
Speaking from the opening, NFU Scotland’s Combinable Crops Committee Chairman, Andrew Moir said:
“Growers from Tayside, Angus and South Aberdeenshire have shown genuine vision with their commitment to Angus Cereals and the creation of the storage and processing facilities and I wish them every success with this important venture.
“It not only marks a fresh take on collective co-operation between farmers but, by outsourcing the management and marketing to an established commercial partner like Openfield, it also marks a new chapter in collaboration between farmers and their merchant.
“The new approach of farmers and their co-op taking up storage capacity and having that storage capacity on the dockside could prove to be a real benefit when it comes to finding the right marketing outlet for grain.
“It also helps address the annual storage headache that an increasing number of growers face. A lack of appropriate storage on farm can force farmers into marketing grain at the wrong time, leaving them weak sellers in the market. Having the flexibility of off farm storage in modern facilities, and marketing assistance from a professional partner, must strengthen their hand in how they approach selling their grain.”
Notes to Editors
- Farmers in Tayside, Angus and South Aberdeenshire arable farmers produce in excess of 0.5 million tonnes of cereals every year including around 300,000t of potentially high quality malting barley, 170,000t of wheat, 25,000t of oats and 25,000t of oilseed rape.
- Angus Cereals aims to collect, professionally condition, segregate and store arable crops from its members across the region.
- Its new storage facility occupies a 3-acre site within Montrose Port. The capacity of the facility will eventually total 43,000 tonnes with the first 25,400 tonnes of capacity being officially opened today (3 August 2011). All laboratory and office facilities will also be on site.
- The Angus Cereals facility is modelled on the successful Aberdeen Grain operation, which has an expanding facility at Whiterashes, Newmachar. Both storage businesses will work very closely together to create additional marketing leverage for a combined total of over 100,000t of high quality grain from farmers across Central and NE Scotland.
- Openfield is Angus Cereals exclusive marketing partner, providing all administrative, financial and ongoing development services. Openfield already provide services for 15 similar businesses throughout the UK marketing in excess of 1 million tonnes each year. Angus Cereals will benefit from this expertise from day one in being part of the Openfield network.
Ends
Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006