In 2015, NWF acquired 100% of the issued share capital of
New Breed UK Limited, a ruminant feed manufacturer and nutritional advisory business based in Lancashire. As part of continued growth across the North-West of England and South-West and Central Scotland, NWF purchased Jim Peet Agriculture in 2016, a ruminant feed manufacturer based in Cumbria. The agricultural sector continues to shift and innovate with
Above: The Wardle site in 1958 and (left) the mill today
consistently grew and in 1988, it became a limited company, operating as NWF Group, with the feed division known as NWF Agriculture, the name that is still operated under. In 1995, NWF Group was listed on the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange, becoming the first company in the North- West of England to do so. With continuing growth, NWF Agriculture manufactured its one-millionth tonne of ruminant feed in March 1998 and two millionth in July 2003. With excellent growth in the North-West, NWF Agriculture
acquired the ruminant feed company, JGW Thomas & Sons, a Devon-based ruminant feed manufacturer in 2004. This enabled NWF to expand their reach to the South-West to service farmers across Cornwall, Devon & surrounding counties, becoming a national supplier of ruminant feed. In 2013, NWF acquired the ruminant business, SC Feeds, based
in Staffordshire, strengthening operations and opportunities to farmers across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, North Wales and surrounding areas.
advances in nutritional expertise, technology and the portfolio of on-farm products and services. As a result of this NWF launched an in-house academy in 2019 designed to recruit and train farm advisors for the future. The NWF academy is an 18-month specific training schedule designed to assist British livestock farmers and the livestock industry in developing a sustainable and profitable future. Since its launch, NWF has had over 30 graduate feed advisors across their academy intakes offering expert knowledge and technical advice to hundreds of farmers across the UK.
To gain further insight Feed Compounder put the following questions to NWF Agriculture Managing Director, Andrew Downie.
What does the future hold for NWF Agriculture? We are delighted to have celebrated our 150th anniversary on the 5th of June 2021. We operate in a dynamic industry, with new technologies developed at an ever-increasing rate, something that has offered both our business and our customers fantastic opportunities to embrace change and progress over the past 150 years. We are proud of our heritage, reputation and standing within the agricultural community, however as livestock needs become greater and more challenging, we must adapt our product offerings in line with both farmers’ needs and environmental constraints and guidance. It is an exciting time at NWF Agriculture. With recent investments
and expansions, and the development of our in-house academy and online ordering platform, AgriExpress, I believe we are well-placed to match and exceed the needs of farmers. We offer a fantastic expertly manufactured range of ruminant compound feeds and blends as well as a comprehensive range of minerals, molasses, seeds, additives and associated products all of which is supported by the expertise and advice of our knowledgeable sales specialists and technical teams.
How has the industry changed since joining NWF Agriculture? In my time at NWF Agriculture I have noticed a considerable change within the farming industry. I have seen continued rationalisation of farms and agricultural businesses which is a real challenge in a very traditional industry. Likewise, technological improvements and the adoption of data capture to assist in on-farm decision-making have successfully taken off. More customers are looking at exploring the possibilities of robotics on farm and I see greater demands on farmers for welfare and quality standards. There is an increased requirement
Left: The SC Feeds mill FEED COMPOUNDER JULY/AUGUST 2021 PAGE 29
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