Farmers urged to export cereals

By FWi staff

CEREAL farmers should sell more grain overseas, Lord Donoughue, minister for farming and food, urged yesterday.

In the keynote speech at Crops 97, Lord Donoughue pledged to support farmers looking for new commodities markets: “I am pleased that a considerable development effort is being directed towards the huge markets of China, Brazil and north Africa, especially in higher value-added areas such as malting barley.”

Analysts forecast that up to 70% of this years UK cereal exports will be sold within the European Union.