Farmer controlled purchasing business the AF Group and the Camgrain crop storage co-operative are to collaborate over an initiative to maximise value for farmer members by combining competitive combinable crop input purchasing with grain storage and marketing services.
The move will help farm business profitability by bringing together the AF Group’s ability to minimise the cost of inputs with Camgrain’s expertise in maximising returns through storage, handling and grain marketing – the latter capability through Frontier Agriculture with Robin Appel handling organic crops.
The partnership introduces a range of practical benefits for farmers choosing to work with both co-operatives, including discounts, grain cleaning and storage, and opportunities for grain marketing via forward contracts, specialised pool marketing, and competitive marketing platforms. The flexible offer means that participating growers can choose whether to opt for pooled marketing expertise or direct selling.
Camgrain has a modern, efficient storage infrastructure for combinable crops across Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Its recent investments include high-capacity colour sorters capable of removing contaminants such as ergot at rates of up to 100 tonnes per hour; efficient drying systems; and a new 15 tonnes/hr BoMill protein sorting plant. This enables grain to be segregated by protein and nitrogen content, helping target premium markets and improve overall grower returns.
The AF Group is focused on helping its members reduce input costs, improve efficiency and strengthen profitability through collaboration and scale.
“As a farmer owned co-operative, Camgrain is delighted to be collaborating with AF Group – a similar farming co-operative,” states Camgrain group chief executive Simon Willis. “In these challenging times for UK arable crop farmers, I believe it is vital that we work together with other farming co-operatives to reduce the costs each other’s farmer members incur operating their businesses. We see the products and services offered by AF Group as complimentary to our own offering and believe this is the start of a long-term relationship.”
For the AF Group, chief agricultural officer John Barrett adds: “Camgrain stores grain well, giving growers the best opportunity to sell their grain to buyers who know what they’re going to get. It can dry grain at the lowest cost, store it at the lowest cost while assuring it to the highest standard so it obtains the best value.
“Combined with AF’s specialists procuring inputs at best value, then this collaboration presents an excellent opportunity for farmers to maximise returns on their crops at a time when that is more important than ever.”