PRODUCTION CATCH-UP With the publication, in August, of data relating to the production of compounds, blends and concentrates in Great Britain, it became possible to look at developments during the first half of 2017. At just over 5.77 million tonnes, production of compounds, blends


and concentrates in Great Britain was 131,800 tonnes or 2.3 per cent ahead of production in the same months of 2016. However, it is worth noting that this was the highest total for the six months in question since DEFRA – or its predecessor – started to collect production of animal feeds in its present form in 1992. In fact, an inspection of data going back to 1980 suggests that production of feeds during the first six months of 2017 was the highest for the entire period stretching back to 1980. Production of feeds for cattle and calves during the first six months


of 2017, at just under 2.04 million tonnes, was 87,600 tonnes or 4.5 per cent ahead of the equivalent period a year earlier. Once again, the bulk of this increase was accounted for by increased output of compound feeds for dairy cattle, although there was also a significant increase in production of feeds for calves. Production of dairy compounds, at 1.02 million tonnes during the six months under review, was 68,700 tonnes or 7.2 per cent more than the equivalent period a year earlier. It is likely that this reflected the improvement in milk prices and increasing demand for butter manufacture. At 402,100 tonnes, there was also an 8,900 tonne or 2.3 per cent increase in the production of blends for dairy cattle during the period in question. The generally improving situation in the dairy sector is also likely


to have been reflected in the market for calf feeds which, at 1.02 million tonnes, was ahead of the first six months of 2016 by 17,700 tonnes or 17.8 per cent. In the first half of 2017, production of feeds for cattle and calves


accounted for 35.3 per cent of total production of compounds, blends and concentrates, compared with 34.6 per cent a year earlier. In contrast with the buoyant market for cattle and calf feeds,


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production of feeds for pigs, at 872,400 tonnes, was down by 44,000 tonnes or 4.8 per cent during the first six months of 2017 compared with the equivalent period a year earlier. While there was an increase in the production of link and early grower feeds, production of growing and finishing feeds was lower than in the equivalent period a year earlier, the former at 158,300 tonnes down by 8,400 tonnes or 5 per cent and the latter at 435,100 tonnes down by 31,400 tonnes or 6.7 per cent. At 194,000 tonnes, there was also a 10,900 tonne or 5.3 per cent fall in the production of breeding feeds for pigs. Production of feeds for pigs accounted for 15.1 per cent of the total output of compounds, blends and concentrates during the period under review, compared with 16.3 per cent a year earlier. Production of compounds, blends and concentrates for poultry


during the first six months of 2017 amounted to just over 1.98 million tonnes, 31,500 tonnes or 1.6 per cent more than during the first six months of 2016. Poultry feed production accounted for 34.4 per cent of total production compared with 34.6 per cent a year earlier. The bulk of the increase was, once again, attributable to an increase


in the production of broiler feeds which, at just short of 1.02 million tonnes, amounted to 47,500 tonnes or 4.9 per cent more than in the first six months of 2016. There were also small increases in the production of turkey, layer, and chick rearing feeds; of this, the most significant was the production of feeds for laying hens which, at 550,500 tonnes, was 2,600 tonnes ahead of the equivalent period of 2016. Production of ‘all other feeds for poultry’ at 116,600 tonnes, was down by 20,800 tonnes or 15.1 per cent. Turning to feeds for sheep and lambs, total production at 547,200


tonnes, was 8,200 or 1.5 per cent higher during the first six months of 2017 than in the first six months of 2016, although production of feeds for sheep and lambs accounted for 9.5 per cent of all production of compounds, blends and concentrates, marginally lower than the figure of 9.6 per cent during the same period a year earlier. The largest share of the increase was accounted for by increased


www.cfegroup.com PAGE 4 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 FEED COMPOUNDER


production of blends for breeding sheep, at 30,200 tonnes up by 12,300 tonnes or 68.7 per cent; this may reflect an increased willingness of flockmasters to invest in their breeding animals at a time when forage available was increasing. In contrast, the production of compounds for breeding animals, at 262,700 tonnes, was down by 9,400 tonnes or 3.5 per cent. There were increases in the production of both compounds and blends for growing and finishing animals with the former, at 220,600 tonnes, up by 4,400 tonnes or 2 per cent and the latter, at 30,700 tonnes, up by 1,500 tonnes or 5.1 per cent.


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