The first sale of branded UK soft wheat has been made to a Moroccan miller more than a year after the brand was launched, according to the Home-Grown Cereals Authority.

The two export brands, called ukp for high-spec group ones and twos and uks for soft wheat, were launched at the Paris Bourse last November to a fairly enthusiastic response from millers.

But last season’s poor quality harvest meant there was nothing available for export that fitted the brand specifications, so no trade was done.

In this first test of the uks brand, miller Mostafa Hamdi of Les Grands Moulins Fassis said he was satisfied with his 4500t and would be back for more.

“I got what I wanted and what the brand said I would get. The brands make it easier for me to understand the qualities of wheat available from the UK.”

The HGCA is hoping to see shipments to other North African countries including Egypt, Tunisia and Libya this season.

Emma Jackson, export manager at the HGCA, said the message that UK wheat could be high quality had found its mark and expected the first success with ukp soon.

* DEFRA has awarded a £500,000 grant to the HGCA for a three year project to improve price risk management in the cereals industry. The £1.1m overall funding will be spent on more than 100 grower training events around the country and the setting up of web-based tools that build on the existing CropBench initiative.