We have been able to see first-hand the progress that Camgrain has made on behalf of its farmer members. They have an excellent reputation across the industry for quality and service which is exemplified by the contracts they have with highly respected food companies.

The recent publication of the Foresight Report by the Government Chief Scientist, highlighted the need to increase global food production whilst delivering a lower environmental impact. This puts great emphasis on the need for farmers to rise to the challenge. Farm controlled cooperatives like Camgrain have a key role to play in delivering these targets on behalf of society by building more sustainable and resilient supply chain relationships that are able to deliver greater financial and environmental efficiencies and reduce supply chain waste.

Camgrain’s strong performance and track record has earned them the confidence of a number of major food processors and retailers.  This has provided Camgrain's farmer members with an effective opportunity to engage in the value added supply chain. Like many others, we believe that farmer collaboration provides the most sustainable future for the food industry.

We started working with Camgrain two years ago. Now, their drivers have a key to our gate and deliver before anyone else, we have good communications between our two laboratories and know we get good wholesome wheat with no surprises.

Camgrain has a 100% record with no rejections and no claims and they now supply all our low protein wheat ensuring that we don't need to blend or store this grain. Turn round times are improved and there's a constant flow of product saving time all round.

All in all the security of supply provided has established a good foundation for a future working relationship.

Camgrain is an important part of the agricultural economy in the region and has already provided considerable benefit to many farm businesses.

Camgrain provides the region’s farmers with a first class facility for storage, grading and marketing of grain.

With the rapidly changing structure of the cereals and oilseeds sector, the development of centralised storage is a vital step along the competitiveness road. The ever increasing demands of those along the food chain mean that hygiene and food safety of stored crops is paramount and sometimes difficult to achieve in farm stores. The buyers of grain also require exact specification loads into their processing plants. Again this is difficult for an individual farmer to achieve from his own stores. Operators of central stores are properly geared up for this.

I have recently returned from a study tour in the United States where I visited the headquarters of one of the biggest grain traders and food processors in the world. It was quite clear from looking at the logistics of that operation that they relied on central stores to achieve the grain flows needed for their markets. Other member states in the EU are much better served by central storage than we are in the UK allowing them to better react to orders for domestic consumption and export trade. We must not let the UK fall behind international standards for storage and logistics.

The farming industry employs nearly 0.5 million people with another 1.2 million in ancilliary services. By value this is 15% of the UK’s manufacturing output and contributes over £13 billion to the UK’s balance of trade. The food and drink sector purchases two thirds of what UK farmers produce and is therefore essential to the sustainability of British agriculture.

Our direct day to day contact with first hand processors and their customers highlights the current inefficiency of our cereal supply chains compared with our European neighbours. Scale is vital, not just for individual processing sites but for the network as a whole, in being able to supply some of the leading food brands in the UK. From work we have done over the last 2 years we know that we have improved service levels to food processors through eliminating rejections, supplying consistent quality material and increasing the number of loads delivered each day by the same vehicle.

From the farmer’s viewpoint, particularly with the recent wet harvests, we have reduced their energy and labour costs by over 30% compared to farm stores. As the global food market enters a new phase with the requirement for known provenance full traceability and guaranteed supply, these farmer owned central stores now offer a more sustainable solution.  They not only benefit the area in which they serve but also the national economy. Camgrain facilities will provide alignment to the growth strategies of the UK’s leading cereal food brands.

Thank you to the team, every time I rang and spoke to one of them they were friendly and efficient, when I was told someone would ring me back with the info I required, it happened quickly.

Camgrain Services were very efficient. The lorries were always prompt even when I needed several to keep my combining rolling. Thanks again for making harvest that much easier.

Many thanks for all your efforts this year, this Camgrain member is very satisfied with the service you provide. Please pass on my thanks to your staff.

All transport and communications with Camgrain over harvest have been first class. Thank you to all for a stress free harvest