Pool marketing
Selling grain via a pool can help eliminate some of the risk associated with trading in an open market.
At a time when there are so many uncertainties influencing prices, it can be part of a sensible marketing strategy.
What is a grain pool?
Volatility is the amount that markets move daily and it can make the decision around when to sell grain difficult, for fear of selling at the wrong time or at the wrong price.
Selling grain is emotive too, requiring considerable time and effort to monitor markets carefully. Given how much work goes into producing a successful crop, the pressure to secure a good end result can feel significant.
Grain pools help to alleviate this, passing the responsibility to specialist commodity traders instead. It’s an approach that lets many growers spread their risk while making the most of market opportunities.
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You will also receive direct communications from our pool trading leads on a regular basis and interim updates from your Frontier farm representative.
Frontier’s strong understanding of the markets, coupled with our connections to our parent companies, Cargill and ABF, is unique in the UK. These excellent relationships with many of the largest grain consumers both at home and abroad ensure your grain is in safe hands.
2. Professional logistics and storage working for you Our dedicated logistics team, nationwide storage network and fleet of 90 bulk lorries and trusted third-party hauliers ensure dependable grain movements, adding value to your business.
3. Reliably strong results A consistent track record of delivering dependable results to our customers year on year.
4. Financial security Volatile grain markets and dramatic changes in price need to be managed. With Frontier, you can be confident in our financial security to support your own business resilience. Our pools also provide access to pre-payment cash once your crop is harvested, helping you to plan your cash-flow requirements throughout the season. |
What are the benefits?
We’ll work with you to develop a grain marketing plan which works for your farm business; taking into consideration requirements for movement, storage and cash flow, as well as your appetite for risk. Our experts can talk you through a range of options including structured contracts for specific markets, the forward market, post-harvest grain marketing and pool to build a bespoke plan that’s right for you.
| Expert trading from the UKs largest grain supply-chain business: new for 24/25 is a revised trading strategy - 40% traded via a structured approach and 60% traded on a managed approach. |
| Priority access to market premiums, allowing you to make the most of our strong consumer relationships. |
| Quick and easy access to cash advances against grain committed to us in the pool at competitive interest rates. |
| Exclusive access to market insights, keeping you informed on our progress and assisting your selling of surpluses not committed on pools. |
| Movement guarantee: outside of harvest, we guarantee that 75% of the contracted tonnage will move in the first two months. |
| Area-based contracts where the entire product of a particular crop is marketed with us - a benefit for spring crops which traditionally have more variable yield performance. |
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What commodities can be committed?
Frontier has a dedicated team for each commodity, with experts able to manage the price risk and sell on your behalf.
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The wheat pool marketing team gives you a wealth of experience and knowledge that is unrivalled in the market place. Alongside price, we’re well equipped to service our pool customers through our extensive store network and links to consumers nationwide. We have integrated wheat demand through our parent companies, and hold exclusive contracts with ABN Mills, Allied Mills, Warburtons and the Cargill starch plant. |
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Our barley pool marketing team has a proven track record of excellent results, for both feed and malting barley. We are well connected to the largest number of feed and maltster consumers across the UK. Our links to nationwide deep water ports also means we have greater access globally to more market opportunities for both feed and malting barley. |
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As well as having a direct consumer relationship with Cargill’s oilseed crush in Liverpool, Frontier also has a unique sole supply agreement with Yelo at Stratford-upon-Avon. In Scotland, we have access to the ports and vessels market and any export opportunities as they arise. Recent oilseed rape pool results have been very strong and with significant price swings in this market, it’s important to protect the investment of a very high input, high reward crop. |
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Our Ruddington site in Nottinghamshire is the largest point of feed bean consumption in the UK in the form of a de-hulling plant. From here, we capture 90% of the aquaculture market in terms of feed beans. We're also the largest exporter of human consumption beans, giving bean pool members a fantastic route to market. |
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Alongside a track record of excellent results, oat pool customers have access to the main oat mills across the UK including Navara – the most modern and state of the art mill in Europe.
Pool members can also trade peas and linseed.
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Wheat
Barley
Oilseed rape
Beans
Oats
2025/26 pool opportunities
The 2025/26 pools for next season are now open. You can choose any of 4 movement periods with the Frontier pool, with payments made at the end of each pool period. For example, the Oct-Dec pool is paid in January.
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Pool |
Movement period |
Payment date |
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Harvest – barley, oats, OSR (England) |
1st July – 31st August 2025 |
28th September 2025 |
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Harvest – barley, oats, OSR (Scotland) |
1st August – 30th September 2025 |
27th October 2025 |
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Harvest – wheat, pulses |
1st August – 30th September 2025 |
27th October 2025 |
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Oct - Dec |
1st October – 31st December 2025 |
29th January 2026 |
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Jan - Mar |
1st January – 30th March 2026 |
29th April 2026 |
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Apr - Jun |
1st April – 30th June 2026 |
29th July 2026 |
To express your interest in the Frontier pools, please complete our form at the link below.
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Receive weekly market insights Frontrunner is our weekly market round-up written by our expert grain trading, seed and fertiliser teams. Issued every Thursday lunchtime to our blog, the report is also available as a podcast so that you can listen on the go too. By subscribing, you'll receive an email notification each time a report is published. |