The Port of Liverpool has welcomed the UK’s largest shipment of feed maize, reinforcing its critical role in supporting the nation’s agricultural sector.
The vessel, ‘Lowlands Future’ arrived from the east coast of the United States, carrying 55,000t of maize.
The supply was ordered by ADM Agriculture and will be stored in ADM’s designated port-centric facilities in Liverpool before distribution to farms across the region.
Mersey port director, Peel Ports Group, Phil Hall 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.”
ADM Agriculture’s senior trader, Albert Linney said:
“In a challenging year for UK domestic cereals with the UK wheat crop production around 25% lower versus 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 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,” Linney added.
The shipment represents a significant boost to the uk’s agriculture sector, supporting food security and the supply of essential raw materials across the UK.
The Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the leading gateway for imports of grain and animal feed and for the movement of freight between Britain and Ireland.
The port is currently undergoing major expansion works with a second container terminal being constructed in the river Mersey to accommodate larger container ships and lure trade from the congested south east.
The new terminal received €185 million worth of loans from the European Investment Bank and is expected to be open for business this year.
The port is currently limited in terms of the size of vessels it can accommodate, whereas the new 300 million deep-water container terminal will double the port’s container capacity to one million TEU.
This will make it more cost-effective and efficient for trade to be facilated from region henceforth.
“Some 90% of containers coming into the UK come through the Southeast, but 60% are destined for or originate in the north of the country or Ireland. Using Liverpool will reduce cost and eliminate congestion,” chief operating officer of the Peel Ports Group, Gary Hodgson, said.
Peel Ports Group owns Liverpool port and serves as one of the largest port operators in the country.
