| Arable
Largest UK wheat export to the USA departs
The largest export of wheat to the USA for more than two decades departed from Bristol recently. The Sbi Lambada,
carrying 63,000 tonnes of grain, was loaded by Openfield at the Portbury Grain Terminal and brings the total volume of
grain exported by the co-op through the port this marketing year to more than 750,000 tonnes.
he sale of wheat to
the USA is a rare
occurrence given
that the US is itself
one of the largest
exporters, but over
the past few years it has imported
a several cargoes of feed wheat
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when the market conditions allow
and to support the need to
manage internal logistics.
“When the market
circumstances are suitable for the
USA to import feed wheat then the
UK is a suitable market for the
USA to consider. It values the
traceability and reliability within the
UK supply chain, and the ability to
source grain for specific cargoes
from members’ farms and stores
across the south west is a
supporting factor in US importers’
purchasing decisions,” says David
Doyle, Openfield head of trading.
So far this marketing year
Openfield has exported more than
1.5 million tonnes of grain from
ports around the UK with the main
destinations being in Europe, but
also to customers in North Africa &
the Middle East.
Kellogg’s enlists ‘Compost Chef’
Kellogg’s has enlisted a ‘compost chef’ as it begins working towards its landmark
sustainability commitment to more than halve its greenhouse emissions.
enowned soils
expert Anna
Becvar is working
with Kellogg’s
British farmers to
ensure the health
and sustainability of their crops.
Ms Becvar is advising farms in
the Kellogg’s Origins Programme –
the Manchester-based cereal
giant’s attempt give the grains in
its foods the best start – on
harnessing organic materials to
improve their soils.
Nicknamed the ‘compost chef’
at Kellogg’s for working magic on
the soils, Ms Becvar is actually
advising on two very different
processes that recycle food and
green waste by diverting it from
landfill.
1 – Composting: Producing
compost from green waste in open
windrows, or from green and food
R
waste within ‘in-vessels’ (such as
containers or silos) through
mixing, aeration and selfgenerated heating. The compost
produced is a stable, sanitised soil
improver.
2 – Anaerobic digestion: Taking
food wastes and breaking them
down in the absence of oxygen to
produce biogas and digestate
‘Biofertiliser’. The Biofertiliser is
rich in nitrogen and a range of
plant nutrients, saves on the need
for fertilisers derived from fossil
fuels and can cut the amount of
carbon dioxide entering the
atmosphere.
Using waste that would have
otherwise ended up in the landfill
helps reduce methane gas
emissions.*
The move is part of Kellogg’s
promise to reduce its own
greenhouse gas emissions by 65
14 | Farming Monthly | June 2016
per cent by 2050, and those of its
suppliers by 50 per cent in the
same timeframe.
Ann Noble, Kellogg’s
sustainability manager, said:
“Kellogg’s is always on the lookout
for ways to be more sustainable.
Why have food going to landfill, or
use fossil fuel fertilisers, when you
can use waste to create a rich soil
that will help us grow future
harvests?
“Working with our Compost
Chef is one of the novel
approaches we’re using to
encourage more sustainable
farming.”
Anna Becvar, director of
Earthcare Technical, said: “I found
Kellogg’s Origins growers to be
really engaged on improving their
soils. Effectively managed soils
can not only generate more yield,
but they can be less costly to
work, reducing fuel use and
potentially reducing impact on the
wider environment.
“We’ve been focusing on the
potential of improving soils with
organic manures, such as quality
compost and Biofertiliser made
from recycled green waste and
food waste. In the short term both
compost and Biofertiliser can
provide nutrients and reduce
reliance on fertilisers. In the longer
term we can build soil organic
matter levels for better, more
resilient soils and improved soil
health.”
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