Warburtons has announced a long-term extension to its UK milling wheat contract with farmer-owned business Openfield, as it continues to maintain its support of British wheat.
The extension of the contract, now in its 12th year, will see the supply agreement reach its 18th year, and will be worth an additional £140m to British wheat farmers.
The contract has already been worth £172m to Openfield members – with over one million tonnes of contracted wheat delivered for Warburtons flour – and is expected to rise to £312m before the end of 2016.
“Top-quality milling wheat and traceability are at the heart of both our bread-making process and British farming, so we are delighted to announce this contract renewal,” commented Warburtons’ group purchasing director Bob Beard.
Openfield group commercial director Graham Lacey added: “Many farmers have been committed to producing Warburtons’ wheat since the contract began; this has helped them to secure some exceptional returns from their wheat.
“The contract is, however, about far more than just volume, as we’ve worked together to ensure that not only fair prices have been paid to growers each year, but also that as much as possible of the contracted wheat can be used by Warburtons – even during more difficult harvests.”
Any growers interested in supplying Warburtons as part of the new contract should contact their Openfield farm business manager.
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