AtlasFram Group announces combinable crops marketing partnership with ADM Direct
An innovative marketing alliance has been announced between the AtlasFram Group,
the UK’s leading farmer-owned farm inputs purchasing and combinable crop
marketing business, and ADM Direct. ADM is one of the world’s largest processors
of agricultural crops, the UK’s largest independent flour miller and the
country’s largest processor of rapeseed.
Underlining AtlasFram’s commitment to the combinable crop marketing sector, the
alliance provides the Group’s 1050 Members, who collectively farm in excess of
300,000 hectares throughout England, with a tremendous opportunity to build a
long-term, direct relationship with a major primary processor of combinable
crops. Conducted on an open-book basis to provide complete transparency, the
arrangement enables Members to continue to deal directly with their own in-house
Marketing Department. This alliance will be managed by Barry Howard of ADM
Direct, who is well known to many of the Group’s Members, who benefit from the
fact that the AtlasFram Marketing Department provides independent and unbiased
advice.
Whilst Members continue to have access to the same range of pools, marketing
rates and advance payments, they can now benefit from ADM’s comprehensive market
information, the support of the company’s highly-experienced marketing and
logistics specialists, together with direct access to a much wider range of
markets and ADM”s processing network, which is increasingly vital in today’s
globalised markets.
Christopher Padfield, who farms in Essex and is a Director of the AtlasFram
Group, said of the new alliance: “This marks a turning point for the Group in
terms of our Crop Marketing Department and for Members using it to market their
combinable crops. Working with ADM Direct provides us with a fantastic
opportunity to build the volumes which we, as Members, trade through the Group
and further improve our Marketing Department’s efficiency and returns. I have
already increased my commitment to the AtlasFram pools and a number of other
Members who have not previously used us to market their crops are now choosing
to do so.”
Mark Ringrose, Trading Manager for ADM Milling Ltd, commented: “We look forward
to strengthening our Agreement with AtlasFram by providing a wider range of
opportunities for Members, such as producing bread and biscuit milling wheat for
our ‘specific’ flour requirements. With an increasing choice of milling wheat
varieties available we can proactively work with growers to provide direction on
our present and future needs.”
Mr Padfield added: “Already during 2010, enquiries from prospective Members have
been much greater than expected and a number of very professional farming
businesses have joined us because they recognise the significant benefits which
a large, professionally-managed inputs purchasing and crop marketing business
operated entirely in their best interests can deliver. This development will
further strengthen our offering.”
AtlasFram will be exhibiting at Cereals 2010 (Stand 400), where existing Members
and those interested in learning more about the benefits of belonging to a
strong inputs purchasing and crop marketing Group will have an opportunity to
meet the team. Details about the AtlasFram Group can also be found at
www.atlasfram.co.uk or obtained from:
John Humphreys, Membership Manager, on 01728 727700.