LONDON, ENGALND — The UK Flour Millers Varieties Working Group (VWG), made up of representatives from the largest flour milling businesses in the United Kingdom, has assigned Syngenta winter wheat variety “SY Cheer” a UKFM Group 1 rating, upgrading its 2023 provisional rating. This is the first winter wheat to be given a Group 1 rating since KWS Zyatt in 2017.

The VWG convened earlier this month to discuss the wheat, milling and baking quality data of SY Cheer from 2024 crop samples, as well as assessments from the previous three years of testing. Following a consensus agreement, the group exercised its sole right to assign the industry-recognized UKFM group rating. 

“Over the four years of testing, this variety showed good protein, high specific weight, and a strong gluten quality,” said Joe Brennan, head of technical and regulatory affairs for UK Flour Millers, which represents the UK flour milling industry and its 32 member companies. “The baking performance was good, although slight variation has been seen.

“Whilst the group ratings assigned by the VWG relate only to the functional quality of the variety from a milling and baking perspective, some of the agronomic features of this variety are a welcome sight, in particular the excellent disease resistance profile and the strong grain analytical quality, which should help increase the chances of meeting the mill intake specification and achieve the full premium.”

The popularity of Group 1 wheat varieties has been in decline, dropping from 31% of the wheat area in 2020 to only 24% in 2024, according to UK Flour Millers. This has contributed to a supply deficit of homegrown breadmaking wheat, with millers having to rely more on imports.