Preparing for harvest 2024

(Posted on 05/08/24)

With what could be one of the wettest winters on record impacting the UK harvest, Associated British Ports (ABP) is gearing up to support Britain by boosting the company’s role in enabling resilient food supply chains.

The Humber Ports play a major role in supporting the agricultural sector across the North of England and the Midlands.

ABP is working with several major Agri Bulk players in readiness to bring in grain to plug the gaps left by the shortfall in UK supply. The Humber ports have strengthened long term relationships with Frontier, Viterra, and Cefetra by supporting them with their export and import opportunities and working with them to secure long term storage. ABP has underpinned these relationships with significant investments in increasing storage capacity and handling capability, with more than £30m million committed in recent years.

At Immingham, for example, standard storage assets have been converted into a specialist grain import and export facilities, and over in the Humber International Terminal a 38,000-tonne shed has been constructed for the storage of grain/soya.

Two large break bulk sheds have also been converted to enable import handling in both Hull and Immingham.

Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber Ports said: “The investments over the years have been future proofing the Humber ports and giving our customers the confidence that we can give them what they need in terms of capacity, reliability and efficiency.

It’s been a particular source of pride to me over my time as Regional Director for ABP’s Humber ports that we’ve invested tens of millions of pounds to grow the ability of the ports to play their part in such a fundamentally important role for the UK. Our ports are the gateways to feeding the nation and making sure the economy keeps moving and growing – Keeping Britain Trading in such an important way.”

In Simon’s time significant investment has been made in grain handling operations at the east coast Port of Immingham. In 2023 two metal plate bunds, which can be set up on any quay on any surface were brought into use. They can be sanitised between vessel discharges meaning grain for human consumption can be handled, and a specific standard of cleanliness is met.

As part of wider group investment millions have been spent in port equipment in the Humber to maintain customer demand. In the last five years the strategy has seen the purchasing of new cranes, the full refurbishment of existing cranes and investment in landside equipment. The plan has included looking at the eco-friendliness of new plant and equipment ensuring that ABP continues to invest in environmentally friendly and sustainable equipment as part of ABP’s sector leading sustainability strategy, Ready for Tomorrow.

ABP’s Humber ports Agri bulk capability is a key element of our broadly based offering to the sector all around the coast of Britain, with ports such as Ipswich, Newport, Southampton and Kings Lynn offering customers and shippers a range of options convenient for their customers and producers.