Openfield

Openfield is a British grain co-operative based just off the A1 in Lincolnshire. It is one of Britain's largest agricultural companies and one of Britain's largest co-operatives with a turnover in excess of £700m. It markets grain for farmers and grain stores. In other countries, mainly Canada, this type of company is known as a wheat pool. The head office is based on the former RAF North Witham and prominent customers include Coors UK, Sainsbury's (via Whitworth Bros) and Warburtons.

Openfield is a member of the Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme, and work with the fertiliser supplier GrowHow UK. It is also a member of the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

History

It was formed in November 2008 from the merger of Centaur Grain (of Andover) and Grainfarmers (of Micheldever, Winchester). It is now the largest UK farmer owned merchant and one of the largest companies in Lincolnshire, by turnover. The Colsterworth site opened in 1980. Tim Davies was also the Group Managing Director of Grainfarmers. Richard Beldam was the Chairman of Centaur Grain.

Centaur Grain

Viking Cereals joined Centaur in 2002. Centaur had been formed in 2001 when Group Cereal Services (GCS) of South East England joined Lingrain of the East of England. It was based at Goodworth Clatford in north Hampshire.

Grainfarmers

This began as the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society in 1907. It was renamed as Grainfarmers Group Ltd in 2003. It had offices in Aberdeen, Walton (near Wetherby), Bressingham, Compton Abdale, Cannington and Micheldever. It marketed over 20% of the UK's grain and represented over 5000 farmers.

See also

• HGCA - industry wide
• English Farming and Food Partnerships

External links

• Openfield
• Network Grain
• Badminton Horse Feeds
• Merger at the Office of Fair Trading
• Cereals Industry Interactive map

News items

• First year of trading in May 2009
• Merger announced in September 2008