Warburtons Contract

[T Hectares]

I like dealing with Openfield and they have been very good on Malting Barley in the past, but they have been nowhere near on price for over a year now.
It's a shame as we need the UK companies in there against the multinationals, but I'm not running a charity...

 

[Brisel]

Openfield more likely to go under than Frontier???

As a personal favour, I would ask that this kind of speculation be kept off the internet. I’d hate to see someone kicked when they are down, especially a farmer owned business.

I sympathise with growers frustrated with Openfield - they need to be competitive to thrive but threads like these only benefit the multinationals we all love to hate.

Just my opinion.

 

[Hedger]

I'm disappointed.
Been growing for some little while now.
Hearing its entirely possible that the south east will be excluded on distance.
Quite a lot of investment in mills further up country, and in particular Scotland is unlikely to be getting Kentish wheat in future.
Shame.
The pool for me was insurance, with it being ringfenced against open-field going under, so my crops were not going to be stolen from me if they went bust.
The same can't be said for any other merchant as far as I'm aware.

I would say very much the opposite for Kentish wheat going to Scotland, it's a fairly logical home given the logistics and relationships other merchants have with consumers up here. Maybe looking at other merchants would be your best option.

 

[Badshot]

I'm not predicting the demise of open-field, just pointing out that if I deal with frontier, ADM etc if THEY go pop then I could get badly burned. With open-field pools I'm not, I prefer open-field for that reason, I'm annoyed as hell with Warburton's for dropping them.

 

[Hedger]

I'm disappointed.
Been growing for some little while now.
Hearing its entirely possible that the south east will be excluded on distance.
Quite a lot of investment in mills further up country, and in particular Scotland is unlikely to be getting Kentish wheat in future.
Shame.
The pool for me was insurance, with it being ringfenced against open-field going under, so my crops were not going to be stolen from me if they went bust.
The same can't be said for any other merchant as far as I'm aware.

Going to have to think hard about the next move.
Got two more growing seasons apparently.


Who's felt they've done well with the bean contract?
Pricing against feed wheat is a right con IMO.

I would say very much the opposite for Kentish wheat going to Scotland, it's a fairly logical home given the logistics and relationships other merchants have with consumers up here. Maybe looking at other merchants would be your best option

 

[Badshot]

But not on Warburton's contract, which I also liked.
Seems all the talk of building relationships with growers was for nowt.

 

[Brisel]

I'm not predicting the demise of open-field, just pointing out that if I deal with frontier, ADM etc if THEY go pop then I could get badly burned. With open-field pools I'm not, I prefer open-field for that reason, I'm annoyed as hell with Warburton's for dropping them.

Look at the parent businesses. ADM, Graincorp (Saxon), Cefetra/Baywa (Premium Crops) and Cargill (Frontier). No one is too big to fall but they won’t let a UK subsidiary go pop as the damage to the reputation and value of the parent would be massive, even if they can afford to write the cash loss off against profits elsewhere.

 

[ajd132]

What do you get when you going Openfield? I don’t really know that much about them. Is it simply pools of grain stored on farm and input buying?
Is it a co-op in the sense that you are buying into infrastructure and the ability to treat and blend large volumes of grain like a central store?

 

[An Gof]

What do you get when you going Openfield? I don’t really know that much about them. Is it simply pools of grain stored on farm and input buying?
Is it a co-op in the sense that you are buying into infrastructure and the ability to treat and blend large volumes of grain like a central store?

Have you only become a Camgrain member since Frontier took over the marketing? Thought you would have known all about Openfield given their previous very close relationship with Camgrain

 

[ajd132]

Have you only become a Camgrain member since Frontier took over the marketing? Thought you would have known all about Openfield given their previous very close relationship with Camgrain

Before my time really

 

[Hindsight]

Before my time really

An understanding of history can sometimes provide insights into the current and future. And allows one to put things and events into context. An age and sadness thing I am afraid.

 

[delilah]

Wheat, milk, beef, whatever. Market share is the root of all evil. You all - through your national representative bodies - have supported and continue to support consolidation in the food chain. As you sow, so shall you reap. As it were.

 

[ajd132]

An understanding of history can sometimes provide insights into the current and future. And allows one to put things and events into context. An age and sadness thing I am afraid.

Il ask father. Seems more like a fram farmers type thing but just for grain and inputs?

 

[ajd132]

Now frontier are at c25 percent of the grain marketing in the UK, perhaps it's time the competition commission started to take an interest? Dare I say that if, as farmers, we formed a company to market 25 percent of the UK grain output then they may be more interest taken....

I’m sure I’ve heard them say at various meetings etc that 25% is what they were aiming for a few years ago. May be wrong though.

 

[An Gof]

Before my time really

Doesn't seem that long ago ..... just goes to show what happens when your are getting old Next stop an old fart ..... if I’m not already there ??

 

[ajd132]

Doesn't seem that long ago ..... just goes to show what happens when your are getting old Next stop an old fart ..... if I’m not already there ??

I do remember the agm after that happens, that was fiery! (Boring now by comparison!) ?

 

[AT Aloss]

Yes agree. Although There’s more I can do about what goes in but unless I start going artisan it’s harder on what goes out. But I agree with what your saying and I can see how I may come across hypocritical.

I think you're smart enough to know what a spit roast looks like

 

[ajd132]

I think you're smart enough to know what a spit roast looks like

loss of autonomy is a big worry. Growing packages etc. It’s why I’m against GM/GE as the yanks are screwed basically.

 

[JCfarmer]

You don’t have to put 50% in a pool. You can choose to.

You do

 

[JCfarmer]

I for one will stick with Openfield for the majority of my combinables, the way Warburtons have treated them and its 300 farmer suppliers is bang out of order to my mind without even consulting them!
The Warburtons contract was not large in the grand scheme of things at 150000tons when considering the amount of tonnage Openfield deal with and I'm sure they will have something in the pipline come 2022.
You want more buyers not less and Frontier runs with the fox and hunts with the hounds more than most thats for sure.