Mole Valley Farmers expands with own organic feed mill
© Mole Valley Farmers Farming co-operative Mole Valley Farmers has agreed to lease a feed mill from ABN, which it will operate as a solely organic site.
Existing staff at the feed mill in Uffculme, Devon will join the Mole Valley Farmers business and the agreement is due to begin from 1 September.
The organic mill will allow the business to make cost savings and better serve its organic customers in the South West.
See also: Mole Valley Farmers launches grower ‘bean buyback’ scheme
Mole Valley Farmers intends to move its existing organic milling operations out of its Huntworth site to the new mill at Uffculme, which will allow it to increase its conventional capacity at the Huntworth site.
Chief executive Jack Cordery said: “This will drive significant efficiencies through Huntworth, promoting better use of energy and tighter cost control, while removing the complexities of running a single mill that produces both conventional and organic rations.”
Mr Cordery added: “Our commitment remains to all of our existing feed mills.
“The additional mill will ensure we are well placed for the years ahead, helping us to deliver our core purpose of supporting our farmer shareholders to improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability.”
East Coast Viners upgrades grain facilities
Scottish animal feed business, East Coast Viners, has invested in Scotland’s first continual flow Tornum grain dryer, as well as new elevators and conveyors at it site near Stonehaven.
East Coast Viners is a family-run feed milling business that grows and dries its own grain, and also sources grain from other local farmers.
Operations director Ryan Daly said grain will be dried using mainly biomass heat and topped up using modulating burners, which will help to save costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Mr Daly said: “Due to general wear and tear, our last dryer was producing a maximum 30t of product an hour, but this new model can dry grain in excess of 100t an hour at full heat and should dry an excess of 30,000t of product annually and has the capacity to do more.”