an unprecedented amount, beating the previous high set a year earlier by 155,400 tonnes or 6.4 per cent. 2018’s total return was also a remarkable 419,700 tonnes or 19.2 per cent more than the average of the last 10 years. Total feed production during the fourth quarter of 2018 was made


up of: 52.9 per cent cattle and calf feed, 32.6 per cent poultry feed, 9.6 per cent pig feed, 3.3 per cent other feed and 1.6 per cent sheep feed.


Total feed production during the year of 2018 was made up of: 51.8


per cent cattle and calf feed, 33.3 per cent poultry feed, 9.2 per cent pig feed, 3.8per cent other feed and 2.7 per cent sheep feed. Cattle and calf feed production, in the fourth quarter of 2018,


could not surpass the unparalleled output of a year earlier. However, despite the 15,300 tonnes or 4.2 per cent drop from 2017 levels, the 352,800 tonnes produced was the second highest total to date, following the same pattern displayed in this quarter’s feed production as a whole. 2018 Q4 output was also a significant 49,600 tonnes or 16.4 per cent higher than the 10 year average for the timeframe. At 1,346,400 tonnes, total annual production of cattle and calf


feed in 2018 was a record high. This was an increase of 72,100 tonnes or 5.7 per cent from 2017 and the average of the last 10 years was also significantly outstripped by a total of 236,200 tonnes or 21.3 per cent.


In contrast with the general trend, pig feed production in the fourth


quarter of 2018 was one of only two sectors to surpass its year earlier output. The 64,200 tonnes produced in the timeframe was 3,600 tonnes or 5.9 per cent greater than the total amassed in the corresponding period a year earlier and the same total as the previous record listed in 1997. The 10 year average was also beaten by a considerable 13,400 tonnes or 26.4 per cent. Over the course of the entire year pig feed output could not match


the totals amassed in the late 1990s, however, the 238,100 tonnes produced in 2018 stood 12,600 tonnes or 5.6 per cent higher than the amount produced in 2017. A 54,200 tonnes or 29.5 per cent increase was also seen when 2018 was compared to the 10 year average for the period. A record high 217,100 tonnes of poultry feed was produced in the


final three months of 2018, bettering the previously unmatched 2017 Q4 total by 12,900 tonnes or 6.3 per cent. Additionally, the 10 year mean for the quarter was surpassed by 23,500 tonnes or 12.1 per cent. Similarly, total year poultry feed production broke past the record


levels set a year previously, with the 865,400 tonnes of production standing a considerable 67,500 tonnes or 8.5 per cent over the 2017 total. Furthermore, the annual return for 2018 was 124,700 tonnes or 16.8 per cent above the average of the last 10 years of 740,700 tonnes. A substantial drop was seen from fourth quarter sheep feed in


relation to its 2017 return. A drop of 3,700 tonnes or 26.1 per cent saw production fall to 10,500 tonnes, the third lowest output for the period since the turn of the millennium. Unsurprisingly then, Q4 sheep feed output also fell below the 10 year average for the timeframe, doing so


PAGE 8 MARCH/APRIL 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER


Comment section is sponsored by Compound Feed Engineering Ltd www.cfegroup.com


by a less dramatic but still significant 2,200 tonnes or 17.3 per cent. Contrastingly, year-end sheep feed production outdid both its


year previous output and the average for the last 10 years. The 72,700 tonnes of production bettered the year previous total of 68,000 by 4,700 tonnes or 6.9 per cent. It compared slightly less favourably against the 10 year mean, surpassing it by 2,400 tonnes or 3.4 per cent. Fourth quarter other feed output also failed to reach the levels


achieved a year earlier, with the 21,800 tonnes of production falling 1,700 tonnes or 7.2 per cent below 2017’s quarterly total of 23,500 tonnes. 2018’s Q4 total was however, 700 tonnes or 3.3 per cent greater than the 10 year average for the quarter. Other feed was the only sector whose yearly total could not match


the standing accomplished a year previously with 2018 total other feed witnessing a 1,600 or 2.0 per cent decline. However, the 79,000 tonnes produced was enough to outstrip the 10 year average by 2,700 tonnes or 3.5 per cent. Whilst fourth quarter feed output in 2018 was the only quarter


in the year to fall below year earlier levels, 2018 feed production still attained record levels of output for the second year in succession. Some allowance needs to be made that Q4 returns in 2017 were at an all-time high and despite this, both pig and poultry feed progressed from year previous levels. Over the course of the year, other feed was the only sector which could not keep pace with 2017 production which highlights the general strength of the Northern Irish feed production industry going into 2019.


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