LONDON, ENGLAND — The United Kingdom’s flour milling industry ranks as one of the most productive sectors of the UK economy, according to a recently released report.

The Economic Impact Report, produced for UK Flour Millers by Policy Points, a specialist consultancy, showed that the gross economic value added per employee is £141,000 ($175,000) in the UK milling industry, outstripping sectors such as manufacturing and construction and well above the average of £64,000 for the UK economy.

Other key findings of the report include that UK flour milling:

• Generates £2 billion in turnover
• Creates £700 million in value added to the economy
• Supports the direct and indirect employment of 9,000 people
• Delivers, directly and indirectly £270 million in tax revenue to the Exchequer.

“The findings of this report underline that this is a modern, efficient industry, founded on continuous investment in technology, whether in new mills or the adoption of the latest technology in established sites,” said Gary Sharkey UK Flour Millers’ president and procurement director of Hovis, a company that produces flour, yeast and bread. “This investment, allied to our ability to draw in substantial volumes of home-grown wheat, underpins British food security.

“We’re an industry that is focused on continued development for the future, too. Just this week we kicked off our latest Advanced Milling Diploma program to develop the mill managers of the future, hosted an over-subscribed Research & Development Seminar, and drew a focus on nutritional health through the Fibre February campaign.”

Daniel Zeichner, the UK’s minister for food security and rural affairs, described the UK’s flour milling industry as a “key asset, supplying a critical ingredient to the diet and nutrition of our nation, and it is unsurprising that this report shows it is one of the most productive sectors in the country.”

The UK has some of the most modern flour mills in the world. During the last decade, more than £250 million has been invested across the industry, including in eight new mills, according to UK Flour Millers. The industry is comprised of 32 companies operating 51 mills, with the four largest companies accounting for 65% of flour production, the association said.