Farmers in south-west England will be invited to grow beans on a contract basis and sell them back to the Mole Valley Farmers farming cooperative at a premium.
A new “bean buyback” program will pay growers a guaranteed price at a premium to wheat, with growers able to set prices at any time.
Under the scheme, Mole Valley Farmers are paying £45/t over the November 2023 wheat futures contract, which was at £220/t on 19 January. That would equate to a total bean price paid of £265/t.
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The program is open to all growers, not just the 9,000 farmer shareholders, and Mole Valley Farmers is actively seeking new growers.
There are also bonuses for reaching higher protein levels.
Farms must be within 50 miles of one of the Company’s feed mills in the Southwest to be eligible. These are in Lifton, Huntworth and Dorchester.
So far, eight growers have joined the program, covering a total area of 325 ha of beans.
Varieties currently grown include Tundra, Vespa and Victus, selected for their high protein content and forage efficiency on livestock.
Mole Valley Farmers buys back the beans for use in its ruminant feed range.
advantages
Lisa Hambly, head of grassland and feed agronomy, hopes the program will encourage more growers to get involved with feed mills and create circular economy solutions.
“The program has many advantages. For growers it offers a secure and premium market for their produce whilst benefiting soil health and reducing the need for nitrogen in crop rotation,” said Ms Hambly.
Kerensa Hawkey, nutritionist at Mole Valley Farmers, said: “Beans have a good protein content of 26-27% and the amino acid lysine, which is essential for milk production. They are also a good source of starch.”
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