Teenagers targeted in cereals drive

5 July 2001



Teenagers targeted in cereals drive

By Alistair Driver

TEENAGERS are being targeted in a marketing campaign designed to boost the income of struggling arable farmers.

The campaign, by the Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), aims to encourage teenagers to include more cereal in their diet over the next year.

The authority, which is funded by levies on the UK cereals and oilseeds industry, believes the teenage market as having untapped potential.

Research by HGCA analysts found that older children are unaware of the health and convenience benefits of eating cereal-based food.

The 40,000 promotional campaign is backed by the British Olympic Medical Centres sports dietician Jaqueline Boorman.

Food like porridge, wholegrain bread, muesli bars and unsweetened breakfast cereals provide slow-burning energy for athletes, she said.

The HGCA has also joined forces with the Flour Advice Bureau to develop an education programme on the nutritional benefits of cereals.

An HGCA spokeswoman said the campaign would provide a much-needed boost to the arable sector by telling consumers cereals are good for them.

National Farmers Union president Ben Gill recently said arable farmers had been forgotten amid the whirl of publicity around foot-and-mouth disease.

Autumn floods and subsequent bad weather mean the UK wheat harvest could be 4million tonnes down on last year, hitting some farmers very hard.

Wheat prices, now over 80/tonne, have been as low as 60/t recently half their value five years ago.

Mr Gill wants the government to pay farmers 34m in agrimoney compensation to counter the weak Euro which has hit UK cereal subsidies.

• Lowest-ever IACS sparks agmoney call, FWi, 3 July 2001
• Plea for help as 50,000 quit farming, FWi, 2 July 2001
• Click here to work out your 2001 IACS cheque
• HGCA arable area payments worksheet