Bridging the gap to the mill
Arriving at Wessex Mill, there’s a hustle and bustle about the place. A lorry leaves full to the brim with flour. Unfortunately, much of it is from imported grain – something that saddens the mill owner Paul Munsey.
“We source our grain from the UK as much as possible. It works well for both parties, but this year the quality has simply not been there for the product we have to produce,” he says.
There are a few small-scale millers remaining, such as Mr Munsey, based at Wantage in Oxfordshire, and UK wheat is what they rely on to supply small bakeries and shops.
After a poor quality harvest last summer, grain has flowed in from abroad and British farmers have suffered from unprecedented penalties and rejections from millers.
Last September, NFU combinable crops chairman Guy Gagen called for greater transparency from merchants and millers following unrest over the price deductions.
A series of visits to millers, maltsters and feed mills, arranged to encourage a better insight into what happens to grain beyond the weighbridge, looks set to help bridge the gap between processors and growers and banish some of the myths and stigmas over grain deliveries.
Meet the processor
The HGCA’s Meet the Processor trip to Mr Munsey, a fourth generation miller, was to highlight what he believes are the most critical aspects of delivering good grain.
“The two most critical variables for us are Hagberg and protein – they are the key in making good flour,” he says.
“Hagberg measures how much starch has been converted into sugars. If the starch has been converted into sugars the loaf will not rise, as there is nothing to feed the fermentation,” he explains.
Protein is another key element. This is a measure of how much gluten is in the wheat. The higher the protein, the better the gluten content, the higher the gluten content, the further the loaf will rise.
“The whole idea about breadmaking is you get air bubbles in the product and the gluten allows you to do this by helping to trap the air,” notes Mr Munsey.
These are not the only factors assessed in finding the perfect grain. Moisture, hectolitre weight, screenings, admixture and grain hardness are among a host of variables.
Mr Munsey says any deductions made from these are faxed to the farmer immediately so they know as soon as possible if there is a problem.
“The bonus of dealing with us is you know where the product is going and who you are dealing with, so hopefully it’s a fairly transparent process,”
He notes that the mill has had only one rejection all year because he and his staff are out on the farm and know what they are buying.
“It’s all about money at the end of the day. If the bushel weight isn’t there we’re not getting the flour out of the product. If we can’t get the flour out of the product then we shouldn’t be paying full price,” he says.
Mr Munsey highlights that this has been a very difficult year and tough on everyone involved and strains on relationships are inevitable. He does note the need for better communications with everyone in the chain.
“Communication is about thinking what is happening, what could happen and being aware of what will happen. It’s about getting trust between the farmer and the miller,” he says.
Following some fruitful years where farmers have fulfilled their contracts with excellent quality grain, high bushel weight and correct moisture, the question arises over why haven’t they been rewarded.
Mr Munsey notes it first depends on where the grain is to be used.
“There is a limit to the amount of white flour that can be extracted from grains of wheat. It is reached at a reasonable bushel weight, but when it goes below 76kg per hectolitre the extraction rates drop off quickly,” he says.
“If the bushel weight isn’t there we’re not getting the flour out of the product. If we can’t get the flour out of the product then we shouldn’t be paying full price”
Paul Munsey
Quality counts
Below 72kg, the quality is not good enough to produce flour, especially wholemeal flour, while the gains above 76kg are very slight.
“You have to remember that the miller’s gain is the amount of extra flour produced. The value of that extra flour is the difference in price the miller sells the by-product [for] and the cost of the wheat,” he explains.
Mr Munsey highlights the success of the day is going some way towards rectifying these problems and helping both parties move forward.
“It’s a great way of communicating with farmers, to show them how their skills are used by us to create quality flour for the consumer,” he says.
“By demonstrating how the mill operates they can get a better understanding of the reasons we put quality limits on the wheat that we buy,” he adds.
The maltster’s view
Muntons Malster in Bridlington specialises in distilling, brewing and food malts for domestic use and export markets and its general manager, Guy Newsam, believes the HGCA’s processor days have proved a real success.
“We’ve been partaking in these days for a few years and they are a fantastic way of engaging with the farmers and getting their perspective on things,” he says from his headquarters on the East Yorkshire coast.
“The key message is to get across to growers what to grow, why and what’s happening to the maltster market,” he adds.
One of the biggest problems faced by farmers and maltsters this year was when the malting premium over feed barley slimmed sharply. “I know there was more than a bit of grief when feed prices were close to what malting barley was trading at last year. The reason was there was more malting barley than demand and the feed market was in turmoil,” he says.
The problem with deductions is the amount of small grains coming into the malting process. Mr Newsam notes small grains take up water much quicker than larger ones, hampering the malt quality.
The lack of sunshine saw screening levels rise this year, as he explains that a good screening year would produce a 3-4% loss, but in a bad year it can go to double figures.
“All we are doing is passing on the implications of what it means to us. We’ve paid a premium and we’re returning it as smaller grain barley into the feed market where we get less for it,” he says.
“We are prepared to pay sufficient premiums to encourage the barley [to be] sown in the first place. We want to work with the farmer and ensure he is successful. We can’t operate without malting barley,” he explains.
The farmer’s view
One grower who attended the event was Robert Holmes, who farms 120ha near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and supplies the mill with his wheat.
“It’s a really interesting to see the process and very beneficial at the end of the day, if you’re a milling wheat producer,” he says.
Mr Holmes believes those working for the large merchants are too remote and add to a breakdown in communication.
“The person who comes on your farm to buy it doesn’t sell it. He buys it, tests it and then markets it on to an end user, whereas here at Wessex Mill they are the end user so you can cut out the middle man,” he says.
Read more on problems with deductions last year
Video link HGCA Meet the Processor 2013 – FWP Matthews
