Out and ABOUT By Andrew Mounsey
Steven began our discussion by explaining, “At ForFarmers, our A Visit to
ForFarmers Exeter Mill
Out & About is sponsored by B2B Nutrition, suppliers of
www.b2bnutrition.co.uk
The prospect of a visit to ForFarmers Exeter mill was interesting for two principal reasons. Firstly it would give me a chance to see the results of an investment of over £10 million into an existing feed mill. And secondly, it would allow me to renew my acquaintance with Steven Read for the first time since his return to this country as the COO of ForFarmers UK in January 2018. As someone who will have been with the company for 33 years
in September, spending most of that time in the UK in various roles but including four and a half years at headquarters in the Netherlands, Steven is well-placed to explain the ForFarmers group’s overall philosophy, how the company in the UK has developed, how agriculture here compares to the continent and even to offer a view on the impact of Brexit. But more of this later.
PAGE 30 JULY/AUGUST 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER
whole mission is for the future of farming. We are not here just for the sake of making profits. We try all the time to add value to the farmer’s proposition, whether that is making their operation more sustainable or more profitable – that is what we are about. We offer a complete package which includes not just compound feed but everything the farmer may need on-farm, including advice. That is why we call ourselves the Total Feed Business.” He continues: “There is no doubt that productivity in UK agriculture
is lagging behind a lot of what I saw in the Netherlands. With Brexit coming along, it is more important than ever to increase productivity, and we are trying to do our part to help with that.” There are three major themes to these efforts: investment in
infrastructure; investment in people; and investment in what is known as ‘big data’. Looking firstly at investment in infrastructure and efficiency within
the company, this focusses on manufacturing and logistics, of which Exeter mill is the most tangible and biggest example. “Making animal feed hasn’t really changed for 40 or 50 years,”
says Steven, “maybe even longer. And it is unlikely to change radically in future, in spite of numerous small innovations. There is a lot of expertise and IP around how to formulate, but the actual act of making compound feed is still, grind it, mix it and put it through a pellet press. And yet we’ve spent some 10 million pounds!” The investment at Exeter has centred around efficiency, both in
manufacturing and delivery on to farms. One of the key elements to this is the concept of copy bins, which essentially means bins which mimic
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