Government to continue to support Isle of Man's only flour mill

The mill's largest customer, Ramsey Bakery, closed in 2022

The government will continue to support the Isle of Man's only flour mill while a food security plan is developed, the treasury minster has said.

Laxey Glen Mills' largest customer Ramsey Bakery, which bought about 90% of its flour, ceased trading in 2022.

Alex Allinson told Tynwald the mill now faced "issues" regarding the amount of flour it was required to mill and decreased demand for its product.

He confirmed an annual £41,000 subsidy would continue to be paid to the firm.

The minister said, while the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Defa) developed an updated food security strategy, his department was "keen that the mill should be allowed to continue operating".

He said the Treasury had been in "close conversation" with the company about its current financial needs "given the change in circumstances regarding large food retailers on this island".

Laxey Glen Mills has received a £41,000 flour subsidy from Treasury

Earlier in the sitting, Defa Minister Clare Barber said although the strategy would be published later than originally committed, its development was in the "final stages".

She said having an on-island mill "undoubtedly supports both actual and perceived food security" and such a facility would "play a pivotal role" in contributing "significantly to self-sufficiency and resilience".

Daphne Caine MHK raised concerns that the facility had asked for a maximum of 500 tonnes of wheat for the 2024 harvest, which she said seemed to be "small proportions" compared with 13,000 tonnes previously processed.

She asked if that would be a "viable amount" for on-island growers going forward or if the industry might disappear.

Ms Barber said although the landscape had "shifted" further following the sale of Shoprite stores to supermarket chain Tesco, she believed there was a future for milling on the Isle of Man.

She said there was a "movable picture" of what milling wheat requirements would look like, but the board of the mill could see "clear opportunities" to develop.

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