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Grain Trading

Through our links with Bairds and our history of merged barley focused purchasing companies we are often pigeon-holed as a barley trader.  There is much more to us than that. Our General Manager Owen Southwood and Procurement Director of Bairds Malt has a wealth of experience from over 20 years of trading all commodities from milling wheat to human consumption pulses.  This means we have a knowledge base and trading network to find a market for any combinable crop. 

We can also offer a range of tailored marketing strategies to suit all partners, by using futures and other risk management tools we can provide clear and transparent grain marketing solutions.  These can be used by either consumers or producers alike please ask for more details. 

It is our role to support Scottish Arable farmers with the knowledge to grow the best quality crops they can and then find the best markets for those crops.  Our long-term relationships with growers and farmers is evidence of the trust that is invested in us as the ideal partner to help connect the beginning, middle and end stage of the crop cycle.  That is why we are excited to be part of the Bairds family having recently expanded capacity at some of our key malting sites in Scotland to supply an extra 80,000 tonnes of Malt into the UK Distilling and Brewing market. This growth will necessitate an extra 100,000 tonnes of Malting Barley required bringing increased contracting opportunities available for Scotland’s growers.

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Grain Marketing

Scotgrain can offer a wide range of contracts and risk management tools to assist our trading partners improve their marketing.

Using a wide range of tools to analyse market trends and direction we can offer advice on different marketing strategies to suit all combinable crops tailored to meet your business needs.

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Grain Storage

As one of the primary movers of grain in Scotland, Scotgrain can provide a quick turnaround to have grain moved from farm into the supply chain, with drying and cleaning services also provided where necessary.

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Price Risk Management

With over 20 years of Risk Management experience in Grain trading Scotgrain’s General Manager and Procurent Director of Bairds Malt Owen Southwood has a knowledge of how both consumers and farmers can use futures based trading to eliminate market risk from their grain book.

Grain Storage

At Scotgrain we understand the varying challenges presented by a Scottish harvest, with each harvest presenting different challenges to the last.

As one of the primary movers of grain in the UK, Scotgrain can provide a quick turnaround to have grain moved from farm into the supply chain, with drying and cleaning services also provided where necessary.

Our relationships through the supply chain leave us well placed to support the need of growers and the end customer, ensuring that grain is transported, dried and stored securely, providing the best quality grain for the end user.

In 2023 Scotgrain will work with approx 800 growers, delivering approx 360,000 tonnes of grain to customers in the UK market. In addition to the storage space within Bairds Malt, we can also secure grain storage at seven key locations throughout Scotland.

We’re also excited to work in partnership with Bairds Malt, expanding capacity at some of their key malting sites in 2023 to supply an extra 80,000 tonnes of Malt into the UK Distilling and Brewing market. This growth will necessitate an extra 100,000 tonnes of Malting Barley in the UK, with contracted opportunities available for Scotland’s growers.

our storage options

Balrownie Farms Ltd

Malting Barley
Menmuire
Brechin
Angus
DD9 7RG

Whitehills Storage Company Ltd

Malting Barley , Oil Seed Rape, Oats, Feed Barley and Feed Wheat
Old Manse
Whitehill
New Deer
AB53 6UH

Bairds Malt Pencaitland

Malting Barley
Pencaitland
East Lothian
EH34 5DQ

Bairds Malt

Malting Barley
Rosehall
Turriff
Aberdeenshire

AB53 4HD

Bairds Malt

Malting Barley
Arbroath Maltings
Elliot Ind Est
Arbroath
DD11 2NB

Bairds Malt

Malting Barley
Inverness Maltings
Longman Road
Inverness
IV1 1SL

Hamish Morison

Feed Barley, Wheat, Oil Seed Rape
West Morriston
Earlston
TD4 6AY

Make an enquiry

Grain Price Risk Management

The Risk Management associated with grain price is a subject often spoken about but seldom understood.

With over 20 years of Risk Management experience in Grain trading Scotgrain’s General Manager and Procurement Director of Bairds Malt, Owen Southwood has a knowledge of how both consumers and farmers can use futures based trading to eliminate market risk from their grain book. 

It is our belief that one size does not fit all when it comes to risk management.  We work with our trading partners to understand their businesses and their individual needs.  This partnership enables us to help our trading partners develop a strategy that works for them.

Contact Owen

Grain Marketing

With our main trading office based in Angus our team of Farm Business Managers cover the main arable regions of Scotland from Ross-shire in the north to the Borders in the South.  Our aim is to provide excellent service coupled with sound marketing advice.

The finest malting barley in the world is grown in Scotland and the links to our parent company Bairds Malt Ltd and the larger United Malt Group mean we offer a true insight into the market place farmers are trying to engage with.  This knowledge and the work we do with our trials and technical teams means we help our farmer partners to produce the best malting barley and so maximise their returns.

Scotgrain is not just about barley and has an extensive grain trading structure in place to purchase and market all combinable crops. We operate a network of grain storage and drying facilities throughout Scotland to enable movement and handling of grain wherever and whenever required.  The main trading desk is based at our head office in Arbroath and supports our field personnel with up to date market information and pricing to give a personal marketing service to our farm customers.

Scotgrain has strong relationships with most maltsters as well as Bairds which enables us to market malting barley throughout the UK and Europe. Scotgrain are major wheat suppliers to the Scottish distilling industry, feed compounders and wheat millers. In addition to an active export market on Oilseed Rape and Feed Barley utilizing Scottish east coast ports, Scotgrain supply Oilseed Rape to the domestic UK crush and feed barley and milling oats to domestic consumption.

Give one of the team a call and see how we can help you market your grain. Our expertise and market knowledge ensure that our farm clients are growing crops to meet the demands of the Scottish market. We continue to develop strong relationships between growers and local millers and compounders, allowing us to make sure that the grower produces a product which they want to buy. It is our aim to help our trading partners extract maximum value from their grain.