Marketing
From 2003 harvest, Premium Crops has supplied regional and national millers with UK grown A C Barrie. In 2009 HOVIS wanted their entire bread range to be produced from 100% UK grown Wheat, which meant they needed to replace the 20% of Canadian grown Red Wheat normally included in the grist.
As A C Barrie was the most widely imported Canadian Red Wheat, it was an easy switch for HOVIS to use UK grown equivalent. HOVIS approached Premium Crops to put a supply contract in place.
UK grown A C Barrie is equal to the quality of imported material and when compared to Class 1 varieties it usually shows:
- typically 4% higher Protein
- typically 4 kg/hl heavier
- typically 50 points higher HFN
An analysis of all the samples from the 2003 to 2010 harvests has shown an:
- average Protein of 16.91%
- average HFN of 336
- average Specific Weight of 80.14 kg/hl
Over the same period, 97% of lots passed for milling - this is reliability far higher than other Wheats. This means that A C Barrie is a low risk variety - ensuring growers incomes.
The basic specifications for UK grown A C Barrie are:
- Protein - basis 16%
- Hagberg - basis 250
- Specific Weight - basis 76
- Screenings - basis 2%
- Admixture - max 2%
- Moisture - max 15%
- Contracts cover the whole produce of areas sown
- All growers to be members of a recognised Assurance Scheme
All A C Barrie is contract grown and the terms will vary each season to reflect the Wheat market and to ensure that the crop remains competitive with other Spring options. Premiums have varied between £130/mt and £170/mt over the HGCA quoted feed Wheat price. Over the last couple of seasons this has translated into ex farm values of circa £280 - £330/mt.
Growers should budget on 3.9 t/ha although regular growers will achieve considerably more than this – 5t/ha is quite common. The highest yield to date is 7.76 mt producing a gross output of well over £2000/ha!
