Record 12,000 tonne shipment of beans at ABP’s Port of Ipswich

MV Zealand Beatrix at the Port of Ipswich on 18 October 2017

LONDON, 24-Oct-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — ABP’s Port of Ipswich has reported handling a record 12,000 tonne shipment of beans for its customer Glencore Agriculture UK, supporting local farmers and confirming its place as the UK’s number one agricultural export port.

Marking the largest ever shipment of animal feed beans to be exported by ABP in East Anglia, the product will be transported to the port city of Bari in Italy. The field beans, which are used as a protein source in cattle, pig and poultry diets, will travel aboard the vessel MV Zealand Beatrix.

James Maw, Glencore Agriculture UK Managing Director, said: “The ability to make a timely early shipment of such scale through ABP’s Port of Ipswich has proved to be especially important for eastern counties growers.

“Completing a 12,000 tonne shipment brings essential economies of scale that can make UK beans attractive for global buyers that have a core demand for beans in their feed rations, compared to the cost of conventional 4,000 tonne carriers,” he added. “That has translated into better prices for East Anglian growers, and helping to assure a viable return from the crop for farmers.”

In July this year the Port of Ipswich reported handling 40 per cent of UK barley exports, with 46,173 tonnes out of a total UK export tonnage of 113,000 tonnes passing through its facilities. Ipswich’s status as the UK’s number one export port for agricultural products was also recently confirmed by the 2016 GB Port Freight statistics released by the Department for Transport (DfT) in September, a record it has now held since 2005.

Andrew Harston, Short Sea Ports Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Glencore and their terminal partners Clarksons Port Services as well as Ipswich Grain Terminal to bring together this record 12,000 tonne export shipment of beans.

“Ipswich’s excellent location and connectivity make it a number one choice for our customers in the agricultural sector year after year, who rely on the access to global markets the port offers.”

SOURCE: Associated British Ports,

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David Leighton

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