The largest, most modern oat-processing facility in Europe,Navara , is now fully operational.

It is poised to meet and accelerate the already growing demand for oat ingredients in the food and drink industry. The mill is producing a range of high-quality milled oat products and is already supplying multiple food businesses with the capacity to grow this further during 2024 when production is expected to exceed 100,000 tonnes.

James Skidmore Managing Director of Navara Oat Milling said, "It is a real milestone for us to start processing locally grown oats and delivering them to our food producer customers. We are very proud of the products we are milling and delivering."

Navara is jointly owned by Frontier Agriculture, a crop production and grain marketing company that will supply all oats processed at the plant via farmers in the surrounding region; and Camgrain, a farmer-owned cooperative.

The site of the new mill, alongside Camgrain's Advanced Processing Centre in a key arable region between Corby and Kettering, ensures the minimising of food miles. Excellent transport links provide good access not only to oat growers but also to key food and drink manufacturers who use cereal-based ingredients.

The site which is discreetly located and hidden by existing topography and vegetation will be further enhanced by the additional planting of 6,500 new trees and shrubs. Construction of the plant has created 120 jobs; 60 during construction and 60 to operate the plant.

Mark Middleton, a grower who farms in Northamptonshire near the mill and who was one of the first growers to deliver oat grain to the mill for processing added: "We see oats as a good break crop delivering agronomic benefits. To have a new market for my oats so close at hand is great and I look forward to taking advantage of the opportunity."