RAPESEED POOL RESULTS LEAD THE WAY FOR FARMERS

This season has seen prices trade in a £35/mt range and those farmers who trusted their crops to the Gleadell pools have received a considerably better than average return - in the top 10% of the market – whereas those farmers who were tempted by target prices early in the season have lost out.

“The rapeseed market is renowned for its volatile and often unpredictable nature,” says Jonathan Lane, Gleadell’s oilseed rape trader. “This season’s bullish run has been driven by anticipated new bio-diesel demand for rapeseed oil, as well as crop concerns in Eastern Europe as temperatures plummeted.

“It is factors like weather scares, political decisions and currency swings that will move markets. Without access to ‘real time’ information, it is very difficult for farmers to make accurate and fully informed decisions.”

The average daily free market price for the October/November/December marketing period from 1st December 2005 was approximately £157. The Gleadell Oct-Dec pool price returned £165.02, approximately £8/mt higher (see note 1).

Mr Lane adds: “With similar top 10% returns for our other pool periods, our results underline the benefit to farmers of putting at least a part of their crop into the Gleadell Agriculture rapeseed pool.”