Eastern Counties Farmers

An ECF branded petrol station on A17 in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire in 1989

English agricultural co-operative

Eastern Counties Farmers' Cooperative Association, (ECF) was once the United Kingdom’s biggest agricultural co-operative business.[1] It was founded in 1904 (121 years ago) (1904) with 158 members that year. By 1909 this number had grown to 889.[2]: 267 They were based in Ipswich, and drew most of their members from Suffolk, with additional members in Essex and Norfolk. It attracted large tenant farmers who wanted to re-organise marketing to mitigate falling profits.[2]: 267 Unlike smaller agricultural co-operatives in East Anglia ECF catered for a broad range of farm produce and employed experts who gave advice to members and marketed their particular products.[2]: 267

For many years their offices were at 86 Princes Street, Ipswich. In the late 1980s, this property was sold and the companies head office was relocated to Helios House, Saxham Business Park, Saxham, Bury St Edmunds.

In 1955 the co-operative built a grain silo on Neptune Quay, between Fore Street and Coprolite Street, in Ipswich Docks.[3][4]

In 1991/2 they had 420 employees and four subsidiary companies: Gleave & Key (Norfolk), Glisave and Key (Norfolk), ECF Fuels and (AB Handling).[5]

## References

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1. ^ Pollitt, Michael (2011). "John Alston: Norfolk farmer's leader was passionate about rugby and promoting food". Eastern Daily Press. No. 26 November 2011. Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
2. ^ a b c Pam, Stephen John (2004). Essex Agriculture: Landowners' and Farmers' Responses to Economic Change, 1850-1914 (PDF). London: London School of Economics.
3. ^ "Days Gone By - Memories of the changing face of Ipswich Dock". Ipswich Star. No. 31 January 2017. Archant media. 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
4. ^ "Online Planning Information - 55/00323/FUL". ppc.ipswich.gov.uk. Ipswich County Borough Council. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
5. ^ Forsyth, J. (2013). Major Companies of Europe 1991/92: Volume 2 Major Companies of the United Kingdom. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 96\. ISBN 978-94-011-3018-9.