Marketing

Marketing contracts

With fewer buyers and increasing world market volatility, effective marketing of your crop has never been more vital. As a farmer co-operative we use our expertise, contacts, reputation and size to provide a range of marketing methods to suit our members needs, including;

Pools - traded on the produce of acreage to protect from under or over selling!
Fixed - traded on a fixed price, just like any merchant. But unlike most merchants we will also advise when not to sell!
Options - options provide a useful method of hedging against market volatility, whilst usually expensive, our size allows these to be provided in a cost effective manner to our members.
Storage - with cash flow and storage under severe pressure on many farms, we provide a range of storage deals at over 60 stores throughout the country.

Our Area Managers provide sound impartial advice to our members, however it is also important the crops markets and types are fully understood by our members before entering in to a contract.

Rapeseed

The world market

World Rapeseed Production:

world rapeseed production pie chart

World Oilseed Production in million metric tonnes:

world oilseed production graph

Because edible oils are largely interchangeable, what’s happening elsewhere in the world will have an impact on your markets and prices. Small fluctuations in consumption or production in North America or China can have serious consequences for UK prices.

The UK market

uk market pie chart

Whilst the majority of rapeseed (or canola) is double low type, there are two other major types of oilseed rape grown in the UK. These are High Oleic/Low Linolenic & High Erucic Acid Rape.

The high oleic acreage is set for considerable expansion. Most of these are flexible enough to be used in a number of different markets.

3 main variety types
of grades:

Double low - (00) - low in glucosinolates and erucic

Used for food, fuel and industrial purposes

High Oleic + Low Linolenic(HOLL) - low in glucosinolates, erucic & linolenic, and high in oleic

Higher stability than double low removes the need for Hydrogenation for frying use.

High Erucic Acid Rape(HEAR) - low in glucosinolates, high in erucic.

Used to produce erucimide for polythene manufacture.

main market types:

Normal - commercial, edible usage for cooking oil, margarine, etc for 00 and HOLL

(Non-food use only from High erucic)

Low in unhealthy saturated fat (typically <6%)
High in healthy omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids,
The foundation of a healthy diet
GM free, close to the consumer - low food miles!
1 hectare typically produces 1,400kg of oil and 1,900kg of nutritious cake for animal feed.

Non food - for biofuels and non-food use.

GM free, close to the consumer
1 hectare typically produces 1,400kg of oil and 1,900kg of nutritious cake for animal feed
1,400kg of oil when converted to Rape Methyl Ester would allow a car to travel approx 26,500 kilometres!

Each contract and varietal type have specific requirements and restrictions which need to be fully understood before entering into a contract.

Linseed

The UK linseed crop is mainly grown for seed rather than fibre. The seed is crushed to produce oil and meal, the oil being used for a range of industrial uses, and the meal for animal feed. Increasingly linseed seed is used in a range of food and feeds where its healthy omega 3 fatty acids are highly valued.

Markets are available from brown linseed, and the higher value yellow linseed. The crop can also be grown under contract on setaside land.

Pulses

There are a range of markets for peas and beans available from animal feed to marrowfat peas for human consumption. Many of the markets are variety specific and depend on the sample quality.

For further information on the range of contracts available please contact your local area manager.

Peas

Yellow peas
Maple peas for the pigeon trade
Small blues
Large blues for micronising and export
Marrowfat peas for canning, packet and export

Beans

Animal feed
Tic beans for the pigeon trade
Export - for human consumption