for data and record-keeping as the milk industry, in particular, appears to have split between the cost of production and the open market. It’s encouraging to see some of the farmer-owned processing co-operatives starting to narrow the gap in terms of price and leading the way in terms of added-value product development. With farming being an isolated industry it is positive to see the


growth of social media and it being used effectively by farmers to share knowledge and experience whilst also educating the wider communities. Whilst we embrace a digital world, farm visits and phone calls remain a core part of what we do and are ever more important to support the mental health of farmers, their team and family members.


Where do you see NWF Agriculture and the British livestock industry in 10 years’ time? Pressure to further improve our carbon footprint and other environmental gains will undoubtedly increase. I see more innovation with methane reducing feed additives, something we at NWF are only too keen to progress, helping to assist our customers to achieve their goals. At our five production sites, we have invested substantially in new technology and equipment to ensure our energy efficiency, our emissions and our water usage are leading the way in the industry. Our delivery vehicles are already some of the most efficient on the road and we are constantly examining new vehicle technology for future replacement vehicles; who knows we may have battery-powered vehicles on farm one day. Brexit will deliver opportunities for UK farmers when the food import rules gain parity later this year. It feels like UK farming has had a difficult time in recent years, particularly with the recent raw material market rises, but I am optimistic for the future as our customers have been operating efficiently and are forward-looking businesses and therefore hopefully poised for further success.


How can the NWF Academy help UK livestock farmers meet the challenges of the future? We have always believed that intelligent young people are the future of both the farming industry and of our feed manufacturing industry. We take great pride in doing our research and in listening to our customers so that we equip our NWF Academy recruits with the tools required to help those customers take their businesses forward. Whether a customer needs advice on feeding or perhaps a discussion on where profitable yields could be taken to, our NWF Academy personnel can help to drive forward and future-proof our customers’ farms, whatever system they use. We have a wealth of technical support to assist our customers in addressing queries and challenges within their businesses.


With five strategic locations across the west of the UK, are NWF looking to acquire additional feed mills and locations to strengthen their national presence and extend their offering? We have worked hard over the past few years to set up strategic locations across the country in the optimal positions to allow for supply


PAGE 30 JULY/AUGUST 2021 FEED COMPOUNDER Above: The blends plant at Wardle


chain efficiencies and I am proud that our footprint across the UK is perfectly placed. NWF are, however, very ambitious and we obviously would love to grow so we can offer our excellent advice and quality feeds to a larger customer base, so we’ll have to watch this space to see what opportunities arise in the future.


How are NWF Agriculture adapting in line with Net Zero and environmental requirements? As a business, NWF Agriculture fully supports the NFU’s and the Government’s Carbon initiatives and is doing all we can to help farmers achieve this. Our customers inform us that they are under increasing pressure to prove their sustainability credentials, so we are working hard to support them. We have recently launched our “Dairy Sustain” range which does not contain soya, soya hulls or palm kernel and incorporates Ultra Pro R, NWF’s unique Protected Rapeseed meal to ensure the nutritional make up is not compromised. This range has also been formulated with the provenance of the raw materials in mind, ensuring the raw materials used can be sourced from the domestic market. We understand that removing certain raw materials is a small part of the bigger environmental picture and therefore have several pillars in our sustainability plan. These pillars span from our feed mills and transport to formulations and farm level advice, all supporting the larger sustainability initiative. We also have an in-house laboratory which enables us to provide specific, real time data which can ultimately improve efficiencies on farm! Over their strong agricultural history & heritage, NWF Agriculture


has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of ruminant feeds in the UK, manufacturing over 11 million tonnes in their history. NWF Agriculture now proudly feeds 1 in 6 dairy cows, supplies over 4,500 livestock farmers, feeds over 100,000 animals each day and employs over 250 members of staff across their five production sites. NWF Agriculture would like to extend its gratitude and thanks to


both current and past customers, suppliers and employees for their support and business over the past 150 years. They look forward to continuing to feeding livestock and supporting farmers for the next 150 years.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68