The calls come in the wake of a report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). which says feed prices are expected to ease from their recent record peaks, but will remain much higher than they have been over the last decade, report Meat Info.

According to Meat Info the FAO’s latest Agricultural Outlook, prepared in association with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), says that drought in some of the world’s main grain-producing regions was a large, but transitory factor in the sharp increase in prices over the past two years. More permanent factors – including high oil prices, changing diets, urbanisation, economic growth and expanding populations – are expected to contribute towards sustained higher prices over the next 10 years.

Andrew Knowles, strategy co-ordinator at BPEX, said: “I would certainly agree with the FAO that prices will remain high – we are in a new dawn and cheap food is a thing of the past.

“There has been some easing back in the wheat market and the harvest forecast is promising, but prices are still 100% higher than they were last year. In addition, soya is soaring through the roof, partly due to production and partly due to tension between the EU and the US regarding GM approval.”