ABP is to invest £8 million in new port facilities for Frontier Agriculture.
The bespoke 6,455 sq m warehouse will be built at Port of Hull as part of a new 12 year deal to support the growing Lincolnshire-headquartered business.
Launched 15 years ago as a joint venture between Associated British Foods and Cargill, the crop production and grain marketing business is now a £1.5 billion turnover entity.
Read more: Major investments will see ABP emerge from pandemic stronger - CEO
ABP has supported Frontier with stevedoring services for several years as it exports and imports wheat, barley, beans, rice and maize via the Port of Hull’s dry bulks terminal.
The new investment will help to grow those operations.
Simon Bird, ABP Humber director, said: “ABP has a longstanding relationship with Frontier Agriculture, who have been utilising the Humber ports for many years and it is great to be able to support their expansion.
“This latest investment by ABP follows a number of others in the Humber in recent months in support of a range of sectors. Such investments are building confidence, and customers from across all sectors of the economy see the Humber ports as a key link in their supply chain.”
The investment adds to the major role the ports play for agriculture in the North and Midlands.
The warehouse will have a 40,386 tonne capacity, with an eight bay configuration and be used to store agricultural products, primarily grains, used in the manufacture of food.
Located close to the port’s East Gate entrance, I&H Brown Ltd of Perth is the appointed contractor, working with ABP to complete the project by the end of January.
Simon Christensen, grain director for Frontier Agriculture, which is headquartered in Witham St Hughs, near Lincoln, said: “Our relationship with the Port of Hull enables us to access export markets for UK farmers’ surplus grains when market opportunities arise, and to import specialist grains that cannot easily be grown in the UK, for example, high quality milling wheats.
“The port has good transportation links which speed the movement of local farmers’ grain to export markets. Meanwhile, cargo arriving at the port can be moved to millers and food manufacturers efficiently.”
