Year-end poultry feed production was also at a record high, with the


previously unrivalled total amassed in 2017 being beaten by 123,300 tonnes or 2.0 per cent to reach 6,360,300 tonnes. There was also a considerable 408,900 tonnes difference between 2018’s total and the 10 year average annual production, an increase of 6.9 per cent. Sheep feed output dropped dramatically below its year earlier


fourth quarter production, declining to 157,200 tonne, a reduction of 16,800 tonnes or 9.7 per cent. However, it is worth noting that 2017 Q4 sheep feed production, at 174,000 tonnes was much higher than average and a notable outlier, along with 2012’s return. This is further demonstrated by the fact that the 2018 fourth quarter total was 10,500 tonnes or 7.2 per cent greater than the 10 year average for the timeframe. In spite of the setback in Q4, 2018 total sheep feed still reached


record levels, surpassing 900,000 tonnes in a year for the first time since records began. The 908,600 tonnes of output exceeded its year earlier counterpart by 84,300 tonnes or 10.2 per cent. 2018’s yearly total also sat a remarkable 132,300 tonnes or 17.0 per cent over the average production of the past 10 years. Horse feed production in the final quarter of the year also


witnessed reductions from the output achieved a year earlier. An 8.6 per cent drop saw production fall by 4,500 tonnes to 48,100 tonnes. This was the first time quarter four horse feed had fallen below 50,000 tonnes since 2011 and also meant that it was the only sector this quarter to dip below its 10 year average of 52,200 tonnes, doing so by 4,100 tonnes or 7.9 per cent. In contrast the year-end total of horse feed bettered both its year


previous total and its 10 year average. The 186,700 tonnes amassed in 2018 bettered that of a year previous by 2,400 or 1.3 per cent and the mean of the last 10 years by 1,500 tonnes or 0.8 per cent. 127,000 tonnes of other feed was produced in the fourth quarter


of 2018, a record for the period and 14,500 tonnes or 12.9 per cent greater than the output reported a year earlier. The current total was also 20,300 tonnes or 19.0 per cent higher than the 10 year average for the quarter. Whilst the year-end total of other feed was still above the 10


year average for the term, it could not outdo the output of 2017. The 448,700 tonnes of production fell 2,300 tonnes or 0.5 per cent below the record total set a year previously. 2018’s total was, however, 10.4


per cent higher than the 10 year average of yearly totals, standing 42,300 tonnes above it. Despite Q4 finishing with a relatively poor December output,


production over the period was still at record highs. However, four out of the six sectors were down on year earlier levels and the increase displayed as a whole was thanks only to strong poultry and other feed returns. When looking across the year as a whole, only two sectors fell below their 2017 totals. The reductions in other and pig feed were not enough to prevent 2018 feed production reaching record levels for the fourth consecutive year.


NORTHERN IRELAND December Production Update Total production of compounds, blends and concentrates during the month of December 2018 reached 232,100 tonnes, falling marginally short of the 232,700 tonnes produced in the same month a year earlier, a drop of 600 tonnes or 0.3 per cent. However, 2018’s total stood a comfortable 27,800 tonnes or 13.6 per cent above the 10 year average for December. Total feed production during the month of December 2018 was


made up of: 53.5 per cent cattle and calf feed, 31.2 per cent poultry feed, 10.2 per cent pig feed, 3.2 per cent other feed and 1.9 per cent sheep feed. Total cattle and calf feed failed to surpass the record levels


produced a year earlier, falling 6,300 tonnes or 4.8 per cent below 2017’s total. At 124,200 tonnes, December’s production was still a considerable 15,600 tonnes or 14.4 per cent higher than the 10 year average for the month. All other cattle compounds were one of only two cattle and calf


subsectors to surpass year earlier levels, doing so by 2,700 tonnes or a massive 450 per cent to reach 3,300 tonnes of production; the other was protein concentrates for cattle and calves whose monthly production amounted to 1,800 tonnes, an increase of 1,700 tonnes or an extraordinary 1700 per cent from 2017’s December total. The huge percentage increases witnessed in these subsectors would seem to indicate something amiss with the figures. Perhaps some production has been categorized differently or has not been previously reported and added in to one month’s figures. Certainly, it does not seem credible that production has increased to this extent if data is being compared on a like-for-like basis. Beef coarse mixes and blends saw the biggest decrease from year earlier levels, declining by 4,400 tonnes or 14.6 per cent to 25,800 tonnes of output. Beef cattle compounds and dairy coarse mixes or blends both also fell significantly, the former dropping to 17,500 tonnes and the latter to 23,200 tonnes, reductions of 2,000 tonnes or 10.3 per cent and 1,500 tonnes or 6.1 per cent respectively. Dairy cow compounds, at 46,200 tonnes of output, also decreased from year previous levels by 1,900 tonnes or 4.0 per cent. December pig feed production reached record highs in 2018, the


23,600 tonnes of production outdid its year earlier counterpart by 1,900 tonnes or 8.8 per cent. 2018’s total also stood 33.3 per cent higher than the 10 year average for the month, an increase of 5,900 tonnes.


PAGE 6 MARCH/APRIL 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER


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