Witham St Hughs-based Frontier Agriculture has secured an exclusive contract to supply the Vivergo bioethanol plant near Hull.

Frontier has now launched its Humber Gold club, which will link county producers to buyers at the multi-million pound factory.

The plant goes into production next year and will require 1.1 million tonnes of wheat annually.

Mike Ayers, Humber Gold club manager says: "We have a huge facility about to open on our doorstep and it's going to need a constant supply of wheat, all year round.

"Traditionally the region's farmers have been delighted when a cargo ship arrives in Hull to take wheat aboard, but it's only an intermittent event.

"The Vivergo plant's requirements will be the equivalent of having a wheat-hungry vessel permanently available to them, and right on their doorstep too."

The £200-million plant will become fully operational towards the middle of 2011. It will use enzymes to break down starch in malted wheat and convert it into sugars.

These, in turn, undergo a distillation process that will result in the production of ethanol at a concentration of 99.9 per cent.

Lincolnshire Farmer Julian Anyan, of CW Anyan Farms Ltd, Market Rasen, said: "The flexibility that Humber Gold offers, such as the extended plant opening hours for wheat deliveries and so on, will certainly help us plan our business better.

"Our experience of working with Frontier has always been very good and we have no reason to complain, which is most unlike a farmer."

Frontier Agriculture Ltd is the UK's largest crop inputs and grain marketing business, jointly owned by Associated British Foods and Cargill plc.

The business operates from six main trading offices, and employs 700 people across 40 sites nationwide.

It has significant experience of operating incentive-driven customer clubs in order to secure grain for a large-end consumer.

In 2007, it launched the Manchester Gold wheat club, to secure supply of 750,000 tonnes of wheat for the Cargill starch plant near Manchester.

Anyone interested in joining Humber Gold should call 01482 420311 or e-mail info@humbergold.co.uk