Statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) showed that the retail production of animal feed in Great Britain had grown 5.9%, in 2013 Feb. when compared to the same month in 2012.
Comparing the same periods, total raw material use in the retail production of animal feeds saw a growth of 6.5%, while the total amount of integrated feed production fell 2.5%.
In the 12 month moving total prior to February 2013, the total prodution of compound feed, blends and concentrates was 10,095,000 tonnes.
This was broken down into
Cattle and calf feed: 4,026,000 tonnes
Pig feed: 1,531,000 tonnes
Poultry feed: 3,192,000 tonnes
Sheep feed: 782,000 tonnes
Horse feed: 183,000 tonnes
Other compounds, blends and concentrates: 381,000
The total from other processed feed stuffs in straight form, including flaked maize, molasses feedstuffs, etc. came to 140,000 tonnes.
Full statistics are available for download by DEFRA via the following link: Animal Feed Statistics for Great Britain - February 2013
The UK compound feed market is dominanted by two feed companies BOCM-Paul and ABNA, the only nationwide manufacturers and suppliers of compound feed. The rest of the market composed of regional small-medium sized, independent feed manufacturers, and farm co-operatives.
BOCM PAULS manufactures compound feeds from 11 feed mills, amd blended feeds from 7 plants. ABNA own and operate 10 feed mills throughout Great Britain.
In related news, Carlisle based Carr's Milling Industries have said that the company had received a £1 million boost to its profits as Britain's poor weather drove up farmer's demand its animal feed.
The company earns about 3/4 of its revenues from its agriculture business, which supplies farmers with products such as SmartLic feed blocks, used to supplement the diet of cattle, horses, sheep and goats.
Carr's Milling Industries is building a new feed plant in Lancaster, which will supply dairy farmers with protein supplements, the feed plant is expected to be completed in June.
