Grain marketing breakfast meeting with Fram Farmers

Agricultural Business Consultants from our Bury St Edmunds and Norwich offices joined Fram Farmers for an informative grain marketing breakfast meeting with guest speakers from the industry.

Hosted by Brown&Co and Fram Farmers at Diss Rugby Club, this breakfast meeting provided an excellent opportunity for 75 farmers from across the eastern region to meet and discuss topical matters over a full English breakfast. Following the breakfast, an insightful grain market update was provided by a line-up of speakers including David Wilson, David Stubley and Andrew Dewing.

First to speak was David Wilson, Crops Specialist at Fram Farmers. David explained how farmers are emersed in a changing marketplace with increased exposure to risk. This is largely due to higher levels of working capital being tied up via input purchases and overhead costs. David outlined that supply and availability of inputs has become an increasingly important factor for farmers when making those input purchasing decisions. However, David emphasised the importance of informed decision making and how planned input purchases could help to ensure availability and reduce risk exposure within what is a highly volatile marketplace.

Next to speak was David Stubley, Commercial Manager at Crown Chicken Ltd. David provided a fascinating insight into the management of risk from the consumers perspective. Whilst the food sector is subjected to numerous risks including inflation, cost of living, extreme weather events and conflict; David explained that the environmental impact of food production remains an important consideration going forwards and that responsible grain sourcing will certainly have its part to play.

Following this, Andrew Dewing, Chief Executive at Dewing Grain delivered a thought-provoking presentation entitled ‘Why didn’t I sell it all at £300?’. Andrew explained how a multitude of factors could trigger you to initiate a grain marketing decision. Therefore, gaining an understand of what it is that drives you to make that marketing decision could help to alleviate risk within the volatile marketplace.

To finish, Andrew Kitchen, Agricultural Business Consultant at Brown&Co Bury St Edmunds gave an overview of the offering available to farmers across the England under the Defra Funded ‘Future Farm Resilience Fund’. Andrew outlined that this free advice service could provide a valuable opportunity to discuss the future of your farm business with one of Brown&Co’s experts.

To find out more about the Future Farming Resilience fund or sign up to the scheme, visit our dedicated page on the link below:

Future Farming Resilience Fund