UK Compound Pig Feed Production on the Up

UK - UK compound pig feed production in the third quarter of 2015 was 4 per cent higher than in the same period last year, at 467,000 tonnes, according to latest figures released by Defra.
calendar icon 10 November 2015
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This resumes the upward trend which has been apparent for most of the time since 2010 but which seemed to have stabilised earlier this year.

The growth in the latest quarter was mainly due to a 9 per cent rise in grower feed output and a 3 per cent increase for finisher feed, suggesting more pigs were being fed. This is consistent with latest production forecasts, which anticipate further pig meat production growth in the coming months.

Only slightly more breeding pig feed was produced than a year before, consistent with a broadly stable breeding herd. The latest release also shows that the average price of compound pig feed was similar to the previous quarter at £237 per tonne.

Overall production of compound animal feed was 5 per cent higher, with poultry feed rising particularly quickly, up 13 per cent, while less ruminant feed was produced.

With 2016 harvest supplies becoming available during the quarter, there was a shift in the ingredients used within feed. In terms of cereals, increased use of wheat (up 9 per cent) displaced other grains, with barley use down 11 per cent and maize down 7 per cent.

There was a similar pattern for proteins, with 13 per cent more soya meal used at the expense of rape meal (-10 per cent) and sunflower meal (-12 per cent).

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