Mole Valley Farmers has strengthened its commitment to the organic ruminant sector by taking on the lease of ABN’s feed mill at Uffculme, Devon.

The mill will operate as a dedicated organic facility, enabling the farmer-owned business to better service its organic customers, whilst driving greater efficiencies and cost savings across its supply chain.

The agreement will come into effect from Friday, September 1, with all of the existing, highly experienced workforce at Uffculme joining the Mole Valley Farmers business.

Mole Valley Farmers’ CEO, Jack Cordery said the new site would benefit shareholders, members and farming customers alike. “The number of organic feed manufacturers in the south west has reduced in recent years, but as a business we remain firmly committed to the organic sector,” he explained.

"Bringing Uffculme into our portfolio will enable us to move organic production out of our Huntworth Mill in Somerset, into a dedicated facility. This will drive significant efficiencies through Huntworth, promoting better use of energy and tighter cost control, whilst removing the complexities of running a single mill that produces both conventional and organic rations.”

The new Uffculme site is 25 miles south of Huntworth, located off Junction 27 on the M5. Having a dedicated organic mill will enable the production of a wider range of finished organic products, formulated by Mole Valley Farmers’ technical team.

The new site will also allow the production of organic monogastric rations. This will put greater competition into the marketplace and the potential for further expansion into this sector in the future.

Moving organic production out of Huntworth will facilitate greater manufacturing capacity for conventional bulk feed and Mole Valley Farmers’ bagged products at this site. It will also allow the business to in-source bag warehousing, which will streamline the supply chain for customers and the retail stores. In addition, it will be possible for a greater range of conventional raw materials to be held at Huntworth, helping to reduce formulation costs and improve quality.

Mr Cordery added: “Our commitment remains to all of our existing feed mills. The additional mill will ensure we are well placed for the years ahead, helping us to deliver our core purpose of supporting our farmer shareholders to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability.”