Green Pages Feed Trade Topics from the Island of Ireland


IFA CALLS FOR ‘PROPER LABELLING OF FEED’ Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) grain chairman Mark Browne has called on Irish feed compounders to label feed with the exact percentage of ingredients and whether it is Irish or imported. “We have seen compounders switch back to using high-quality Irish


grain this year, which is welcome as the price of imported GM maize increased. This is good for the tillage sector as grain stores have emptied for the 2021 harvest,” he said. Under Irish statutory rules, all compound feed should, at a minimum,


include a list of all the main constituents. The name of each feed material should be displayed in descending order by weight. These labelling requirements are also an integral condition of the Bord Bia livestock and feed assurance schemes. “There’s an emphasis at Government level on increasing the tillage


area in this country and promoting the use of native grain and protein crops in livestock rations,” Browne continued. According to the IFA, Irish grain carries a lower carbon footprint


than third-country imports. Therefore proper labelling allows farmers to make informed decisions around sustainability criteria and supporting native grain production. Mark Browne encouraged feed suppliers to go beyond the legal


requirements by displaying the country of origin of the main feed constituents and called on farmers to support those suppliers who prioritised Irish grain and protein crops. “As farmers, we rightly demand clear and precise labelling on


products destined for the final consumer. The same demands should be placed on those supplying feed inputs,” he concluded.


AGRICULTURE NOW THE MOST TRUSTED INDUSTRY IN THE US Commenting on the long-term impact of COVID-19 on farming and food, Alltech CEO Dr. Mark Lyons has indicated that production agriculture is now the most trusted industry in the United States. He added: “This was the headline result of a recent public poll. Food retailing came in second place with the restaurant sector third in line.” Lyons made these comments at this year’s Alltech ONE Ideas


conference. He continued: “Farming must break out of the world’s commodities


markets. But the good news is that Irish agriculture is already doing a good job in this regard.” According to Mark Lyons, technology will play an increasing


role within Irish and global agriculture over the coming decade. He explained: “Automation will help solve the labour challenge that is already confronting the farming industries in so many countries. But this is only part of the story. Greater access to data will drive agriculture forward in so many other ways over the coming years. “At one level, access to greater levels of information will allow


farmers to improve the efficiency of their businesses. But improved data capture will also help to deliver greater provenance regarding the food produced at farm level. And this will impact in a very positive manner at the level of the primary producer.” According to the Alltech CEO, the farming and food sector has a


PAGE 22 JULY/AUGUST 2021 FEED COMPOUNDER


great story to tell the public at large. He added: “Dairy, meat and eggs are a selection of the most


sustainable products available in the world today. Whereas the roll- out of technology will take place in a very assured manner, I feel that agriculture must be proactive in telling consumers about the good news relating to the tremendous food and drink that is made available to them on a daily basis.” Pat Charlton, Alltech’s vice president of Europe, agreed. He


commented: “The opportunity is now for farming and food to communicate with policymakers and opinion formers around the world: not in a year or so. Consumers have felt threatened by Covid. As a result, they have more fully recognised the role of farmers and food processors in their lives. “They may not feel so threatened when their concerns relating to the


pandemic have subsided. Social media is playing a key role in shaping consumer attitudes across the board. Farming and food must respond accordingly. It’s a case of communicating with policymakers, bloggers and influencers now.” Charlton concluded: “Covid has thrown up many challenges


for agriculture around the world. But it has also given businesses an opportunity to plan strategically for the future.”


PRECISION NUTRITION REDUCES EMISSIONS The much-publicised concerns about the environmental challenges facing the agri-food industry in recent weeks have long been recognised by Northern Ireland’s animal feed sector. “Sustainability has been a major theme for our businesses for many


years,” explained Robin Irvine, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association. He continued: “The remarkable success of the sector and the


accompanying growth in livestock production have only been made possible through the development of sophisticated nutritional packages and a focus on reducing emissions to air and water. “Precision nutrition is the mantra as we aim to precisely establish


the nutritional requirements for growth and production for the different ages and stages of farmed livestock and then supply exactly the nutrients required to support them. Avoiding over-supply of nutrients reduces the potential for surpluses to be excreted in the form of ammonia, greenhouse gasses and phosphates, which are damaging to the environment and can also represent an unnecessary cost to the farm business.” The NIGTA representative said this approach has been supported


by extensive research programmes funded by the trade and carried out by the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). He further explained: “We have been able to establish the long-term


effects of dietary changes on animal health and productivity and this has enabled greater efficiencies to be achieved in rationing livestock. “The use of enzymes has been particularly effective in improving


the utilisation of nutrients and synthetic amino acids have been used to good effect in reducing the level of protein used in diets. “The management of anti-nutritional contaminants in the supply


chain has greatly improved with the introduction of the Food Fortress surveillance program. This identifies substances such as mycotoxins which impact on performance and feed efficiency and advises feed


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68