UK milling wheat is set to be on the up from a good-quality harvest as demand is increasing from Europe due to the French crops falling to a 10-year low.

AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds published the latest annual cereal quality survey last week, which found that an average protein level increased to 12.6% in Britain compared to the three-year average of 11.8%. High protein content indicates a positive quality of grain – required in wheat for bread-making.

James Webster, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds analyst, commented: “Compared with previous provisional results, the current provisional protein values for wheat are the highest they have been at this stage for the past four years, and nearly 1% higher than the previous three-year average.

This is likely to boost exports of UK wheat, and this is likely to seen as either good or bad news by UK bakers.

Alex Waugh, director general of National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers (NABIM), told Bakery and Snacks: “We are expecting strong demand for UK wheat from other EU countries because of the problems in France. Millers will do what they always try to do, smooth the transition from one crop to the next and minimise any change in specification.”