AGRICULTURAL market leader Cefetra Grain has appointed two new additions to its grain buying team to grow the market share in the North East and the East Midlands.
Farm trader Jenny Oglesby has joined Cefetra, the UK and Ireland pioneering supply chain manager for grains and animal feed raw materials, to cover Northumberland and the surrounding areas, while trainee buyer Hannah McLoughlin has started at the centre in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
Both colleagues will be part of the company’s management of farmer customer contacts while supporting the drive to get new clients, as well as negotiating contracts for farm grain and oilseed purchases and coordinating fertiliser, seed and specialist crop sale contracts.
Jenny Oglesby joins as a farm trader after working in a similar role for the Wynnstay Group. With a brief to grow Cefetra’s customer presence in Northumberland and the Borders, she will draw upon her experience to date which also includes two years working on farms in New Zealand.
Jenny said: “I am looking forward to building Cefetra’s customer base and delivering on its high standards of service as the company continues to expand.
“I was pleased to join as Cefetra has good quality grain storage facilities as well as a strong reputation as a very well-established business with strong financial backing, which is important to farmers in the current climate.
“Our team is a nice, personable size which has allowed me to establish good work relationships already. Being a farm trader is a sociable role and I am pleased to meet our customers as we grow.”
Outside of work, Jenny and husband Rich farm livestock including sheep, beef and red deer, on 1,450 acres near Morpeth. With 1,400 maternal breeding ewes to manage, the couple’s own farming involvement gives Jenny vital insights into the challenges facing farmers, she says.
“My role with Cefetra means I am speaking to like-minded people and can relate to their situations because we are running our own farm and face similar challenges,” she said. “Building our own business while working for Cefetra will give me a good work-life balance and I am looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
Operating from the office at Tinwell Business Park, Stamford, Hannah McLoughlin has joined, having graduated in agriculture at Harper Adams University last summer. The new role will allow Hannah to build on the work experience she gained in the lab at a co-operative grain storage facility.
Hannah said: “I have really enjoyed starting with Cefetra as joining the company has given me the opportunity to learn the role I want to do at a company where I feel valued as a person. I have been building relationships with farmers during visits and will look to build on these links to create new opportunities to buy grain.
“I am not from a farming background but joining the industry has always been my ambition, even though I was not sure if it was realistic or possible. After studying at agricultural university I want to progress in my career with Cefetra, building my skills and experience as I go.”
Simon Wilcox, Manager – UK Farm Grain Origination, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jenny and Hannah to the business and look forward to working with them to achieve our goals as we continue to grow our farm grain buying capabilities across the country.”
Cefetra Grain is part of Cefetra Ltd. Founded in 1992, Cefetra is a major trader of grains and animal feed raw materials. Cefetra Ltd has an annual turnover of over £1.5bn and supplies customers in the animal nutrition, food and drink industries, handling circa 5million tonnes per annum. The headquarters are in Glasgow with regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland.
