Port of Liverpool continues to play a pivotal role in the import and distribution of agricultural products as it welomes the UK’s largest whole maize vessel carrying 55,000 tonnes of maize. Tony McDonough reports
The Port of Liverpool, part of the Peel Ports Group, has welcomed the UK’s largest shipment of feed maize, reinforcing its crucial role in supporting the nation’s agricultural sector.
The bulk carrier, Lowlands Future, arrived from the East Coast of the United States, delivering 55,000 tonnes of maize.
This record-breaking shipment is set to play a vital role in supplying animal feed to local farming communities, highlighting the port’s importance in the UK’s agricultural supply chain.
The UK’s agricultural sector is worth more than £13bn. £726m of that contribution comes from the North West, where 15% of the UK’s food production industry is based.
The successful delivery by Lowlands Future last month represents a significant boost to the agricultural sector, supporting food security and the supply of essential raw materials across the UK.
Record rainfall in the UK over an 18 month period from October 2022 resulted in a significant reduction in food crop yields.
A report from The Guardian in April suggested the UK could be dependent on imports for wheat in the years following.
The importation was managed by ADM Agriculture, a global leader in animal nutrition. The maize will be stored in ADM’s dedicated port-centric facilities at Liverpool before distribution to farms across the region.
Phil Hall, Mersey Port Director, Peel Ports Group said: “This shipment demonstrates our port’s capability to efficiently handle large-scale imports crucial to the nation’s food supply chain.
“Our partnership with ADM Agriculture and our state-of-the-art facilities have enabled us to process this volume, reinforcing Liverpool’s position as a key gateway for agricultural commodities.
“Continued investment, such as our new £28 million dry bulk facility at Alexandra Dock, highlights our ongoing commitment to enhancing the services we provide to the agriculture supply chain.”
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Albert Linney, Senior Trader at ADM Agriculture said: “In a challenging year for UK domestic cereals with the UK wheat crop production around 25% lower vs the previous crop year, imported Feed Maize has featured very well into domestic rations across the Ruminant and Monogastric sectors.
“In light of such demand, ADM in partnership with Peel Ports have just undertaken the largest single discharge port execution for a feed maize vessel ever imported into the UK, with 55,000mt on board mv Lowlands Future into the port of Liverpool.
“A special thank you to both the teams of Peel Ports Group and ADM for facilitating this shipment.”
