UK grains and oilseeds export programmes pick up speed as year end approaches

The UK grains export programme has set a cracking pace since harvest with nearly half of the UK’s 2.5 million tonnes exportable surplus already shipped, on the high seas or ready to be loaded.

"We have just completed another 25,000 tonnes shipment of milling wheat from our facility at Immingham," comments Jonathan Lane, Gleadell Agriculture trading manager. "And this week alone we have other shipments of wheat for Portugal, Spain and Holland loading at Immingham - with similar activity across all the ports we use around the UK.

"We have an equally strong programme for rapeseed, as another 3,000 tonnes shipment is due out of the Humber this week. The record UK crop this harvest has given us an exportable surplus of 650,000 tonnes - the UK has already shipped 500,000 tonnes of this - and we want to keep the ships loading. This momentum is driven by a substantial Australian crop set to arrive on the European market before too long. We want to tie up our 2011 oilseeds export business, and get the best value for our farmer customers, before the Australian crop reaches our markets.

"As we continue to move large tonnages within narrow loading windows to drive our export programme, we are helped by the farmers and hauliers we work with and the workforce at our own facilities - and indeed all the ports we work with," adds Mr Lane.