MEMBERS & MEMBERSHIP
With over 500 farmer members across a region stretching from just south of Bristol, to Hayle in Cornwall, WCG handles around 60,000t direct from farms and 60,000t from its associated stores; a total of 120,000t per annum.
Most of this is feed wheat grown for local feed mills, but the business also handles all other combinable crop commodities, including malting and feed barley, oilseed rape and pulses.
Each year, all members are sent a form prior to harvest on which they indicate the tonnage and commodity they wish to market through the co-operative. This tonnage includes that grain stored at any associated store – i.e. Cannington Grain, Devon Grain or Kernow Grain.
All grain needs to be kept in a marketable condition and clearly identified and segregated from other grain and be of ACCS, FABBL or equivalent assured standard.
Members pay WGC to market different grains on a £/tonnage basis.
Movement is tailored to suit the member’s needs and storage options and can include a direct link into one of our three partner central stores in the region.
Members select from a range of flexible marketing contracts – including a Harvest Pool, Long Pool, Autumn Pool and Spring Pool or a Direct Pricing Scheme - in order to suit individual farm business management and cash-flow requirements. WGC also runs advance payment schemes.
A key benefit of membership is the receipt of payment at a guaranteed time – helping meet cash-flow requirements – safe in the knowledge that their grain is backed by bad debt insurance.
All grain traded with West Country Grain is covered by bad debt insurance. Thus in the unlikely event of an end-user customer going out of business, 90% of all grain sales are protected.
By being members of a farmer-owned co-operative, West Country Grain members can also be sure that their interests are of paramount importance to those running the business.
