Video: Huge UK wheat shipment loaded for North Africa

Good quality across much of the 2016 harvest means the UK will export far more milling wheat this season than usual.

Pictured below is the mv Arki, loading at Peel Ports’ Sheerness facility in Kent this week. It will take 30,000t of milling wheat to north Africa for Glencore Grain UK.

The wheat is supplied from farms across Kent, Sussex and other parts of the South East. Local farming business Burden Bros supplied about 1,300t of wheat for the boat, all of it Crusoe and at more than 13% protein, bringing an £18/t premium.

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Farm manager Andrew Pendry said that the proximity of Sheerness – just 10 miles from the main farm – meant lower transport costs than to other milling customers.

“UK milling wheat quality is generally high this season, after fine harvesting conditions, with the crop from Kent and the South East exceptionally good,” said James Maw, managing director of Glencore Grain UK.

While sterling is an important factor in the competitiveness of UK grain this season, some traditional competitors, such as France, are largely out of the running because of poor-quality 2016 harvests.