Farming Focus by Richard Foster

Viking cereals, one of the UK's largest and fastest-growing grain marketing co-operatives, is at the forefront of an export drive which has resulted in the Portuguese taking delivery of its first-ever consignment of milling wheat from British growers. It is a deal worth £250,000.

Working with BCE (British Cereal Exports), Viking Cereals which serves East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire members and producers from its base at Barmby Moor, has been in intense negotiations with the Portuguese milling industry over the past few months.

These negotiations followed on from the BCE's Southern European Millers' Seminar in May which was attended by six of Portugal's leading milling organisations.

Oscar Spencer, chairman of Viking Cereals, said: "Traditionally, the UK has only supplied Portugal with biscuit and feed wheat. Samples of various UK wheats were forwarded to the Portuguese in advance of the BCE seminar - which obviously whetted their appetites.

"The decision to focus on the Portuguese market was governed by several factors - their own harvest this year yielded very little milling wheat and samples sent by German and French producers did not meet their specifications. It was an opportunity to get our foot in the door and show the Portuguese that British growers are producing the quality they require for bread flour," said Mr Spencer.

A shipment organised by Viking Cereals saw one of Portugal's largest importers taking delivery of 1,450 tonnes of Charger and Rialto wheats, much of which was produced by Viking Cereals members. The consignment will be used by three of Portugal's leading flour millers in the north of the country.

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