Above: Teams from the Port of Liverpool and ADM Agriculture pictured at the recent arrival of the Lowlands Future.
The Port of Liverpool, part of the Peel Ports Group, has welcomed the UK’s largest shipment of feed maize, reinforcing its crucial role in supporting the nation’s agricultural sector.
The bulk carrier, Lowlands Future, arrived from the East Coast of the United States, delivering 55,000 tonnes of maize. This record-breaking shipment is set to play a vital role in supplying animal feed to local farming communities, highlighting the port’s importance in the UK’s agricultural supply chain.
The importation was managed by ADM Agriculture, a global leader in animal nutrition. The maize will be stored in ADM's dedicated port-centric facilities at Liverpool before distribution to farms across the region.
Phil Hall, Mersey Port Director, Peel Ports Group said: “This shipment demonstrates our port's capability to efficiently handle large-scale imports crucial to the nation's food supply chain.
“Our partnership with ADM Agriculture and our state-of-the-art facilities have enabled us to process this volume, reinforcing Liverpool's position as a key gateway for agricultural commodities.
“Continued investment, such as our new £28 million dry bulk facility at Alexandra Dock, highlights our ongoing commitment to enhancing the services we provide to the agriculture supply chain.”
Albert Linney, Senior Trader at ADM Agriculture said: “In a challenging year for UK domestic cereals with the UK wheat crop production around 25% lower vs the previous crop year, imported Feed Maize has featured very well into domestic rations across the Ruminant and Monogastric sectors.
“In light of such demand, ADM in partnership with Peel Ports have just undertaken the largest single discharge port execution for a feed maize vessel ever imported into the UK, with 55,000mt on board mv Lowlands Future into the port of Liverpool.
“A special thank you to both the teams of Peel Ports Group and ADM for facilitating this shipment.”
The successful delivery by Lowlands Future last month represents a significant boost to the agricultural sector, supporting food security and the supply of essential raw materials across the UK.
The Port of Liverpool continues to play a pivotal role in the import and distribution of agricultural products, reinforcing its position as a critical hub for international trade.
Peel Ports Group is the UK’s second largest port operator, owning and operating six of the UK’s most important ports (Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal, Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport and Great Yarmouth). It also operates a container terminal in Dublin and owns BG Freight Line, which provides short sea container services between the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe and Peel Ports Logistics, one of the UK’s leading shipping and freight forwarders.
Peel Ports handles approximately 70 million tonnes of cargo every year. 14% of the total UK major ports traffic flows through ports operated by the Group, Headquartered in Liverpool, it employs around 2,000 staff.