The Port of Liverpool recently received the UK’s largest-ever shipment of feed maize, highlighting its vital role in supporting the country’s agricultural sector.

The vessel, ‘Lowlands Future,’ arrived from the US east coast carrying 55,000t of maize. This supply, ordered by ADM Agriculture, will be stored at ADM’s dedicated facilities in Liverpool before being distributed to farms across the region.

Phil Hall, Mersey Port director at Peel Ports Group, commented: “This shipment demonstrates our port’s capability to efficiently handle large-scale imports crucial to the nation’s food supply chain.

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“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 £28m 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, added: “In a challenging year for UK domestic cereals with the UK wheat crop production around 25% lower versus 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 55,000t on board 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.”

This shipment provides a substantial boost to the UK’s agricultural sector, supporting food security and the supply of critical raw materials across the country.

The Port of Liverpool

As the leading gateway for grain and animal feed imports, as well as for freight movement between Britain and Ireland, the Port of Liverpool is currently undergoing significant expansion. A second container terminal is being built on the River Mersey to handle larger ships and attract trade away from the congested southeast.

The new terminal, funded in part by €185m in loans from the European Investment Bank, is set to open this year.

Once completed, the £300m deep-water terminal will double the port’s container capacity to one million TEU, making trade through the region more cost-effective and efficient.

Gary Hodgson, chief operating officer of Peel Ports Group, explained: “Some 90% of containers coming into the UK come through the Southeast, but 60% are destined for or originate in the north of the country or Ireland. Using Liverpool will reduce cost and eliminate congestion.”

Peel Ports Group, the owner of Liverpool Port, is one of the largest port operators in the UK.