ABP’s Port of Ipswich is again the number one for the export of agricultural products in the UK, beating London, Bristol and Southampton to claim the title it has held since 2005. On the 14th July 2021, the Department for Transport published the UK port freight statistics for the UK, reporting that ABP’s Port of Ipswich shipped 516,000 tonnes of agricultural products in 2020, which is higher than the 500,000 tonnes shipped by London. In total the Port of Ipswich exported 21% of UK major ports’ outwards agricultural products tonnage last year.
The Port of Ipswich’s performance reflects its key location at the heart of the Suffolk and North Essex agricultural community, and the role of East Anglia as the ‘bread basket’ of the UK. In addition to holding the accolade of being the biggest exporter of agricultural products, ABP’s Port of Ipswich is also the fifth busiest port in the UK overall for both imports and exports of agricultural products and plays a key role in supporting supply chains in East Anglia, including aggregates and cement for the UK construction industry.
Paul Ager, Divisional Port Manager for ABP said: “This is a great achievement and is testament to the work of all our staff at the Port of Ipswich, who have been an integral part of our success in our company’s mission of keeping Britain trading, especially during the last 15 months where we have continued to serve our customers throughout the Covid 19 pandemic. The port plays a key role in supporting supply chains in East Anglia, as it is in the heart of Ipswich and its major road networks, and we are grateful to all our customers for continuing to choose ABP’s Port of Ipswich to handle their imports and exports”.
David Rumsey, Managing Director of Clarkson Port Services Limited, said: “As a trusted partner to the agricultural sector, we are delighted to work with ABP through the port of Ipswich. Our extensive experience, wide resources, strategic location with quayside storage together with inhouse material handling and testing equipment and a dedicated customs department, provides the support and assurance our clients require. We look forward to ongoing success through continued investment in the port of Ipswich.”
As well as its location, with its proximity to the farming communities of Suffolk, North Essex and East Anglia, its extensive facilities ensure that ABP’s customers, including Clarkson Port Services and COFCO International UK, can competitively export to Europe, the Mediterranean and North African markets, succeeding over many other European producers.
