Framlingham Farmers’ autumn pool produces another good result

Members of Framlingham Farmers in East Anglia, the North West and South East of England who participated in the farmer-owned business' October to December (autumn) pool received more than £82 per tonne ex-farm for feed wheat, while premiums for biscuit and milling samples, where applicable, further increased their returns.

Simon Tubbs, Framlingham Farmers' Marketing Manager, commented: "We are very pleased with this result, which demonstrates that pools can work in all market conditions. They are a valuable tool that more growers should consider as a key part of a balanced marketing strategy.

"Benchmark tests show that, yet again, our pool outperformed those of much larger competitors and also beat some earlier pre-harvest sales prices by more than £12 per tonne. Sales made off farms during the autumn would been better still for growers, but we feel that opportunities were lost due to a combination of indecision and the disappointment of having already sold too early. In these conditions pools can work well with a larger tonnage to sell over a fixed period.

"Commodity markets are set to remain volatile following the decline in grain stocks this season and potential future demand for biofuels is likely to support prices. However, it should be remembered that markets are rarely predictable and never go in one direction for very long. Physical markets have always tended to follow futures markets and, with speculators outside agriculture now influencing futures prices, farmers need to review their marketing strategy to ensure a good return every year.

"Our pools for next season remain open to Members and we hope that this latest, excellent result will encourage additional tonnage from new Members. Like all Framlingham Farmers' marketing sales, these transactions are covered by our comprehensive credit insurance package."