'Significant' scope to boost native grains in Irish compound feeds - IGGG
Ireland can learn a key lesson on native grains from the UK-based 2 Sisters Food Group, the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has said.
The business has recently taken the decision to specifically support the production of home-produced plant protein.
In so doing, it is replacing 23% of imported soya meal in poultry feed with British-grown oilseed rape and beans.
It has been estimated that the decision will inject an additional £50 million into the British farming economy on an annual basis.
IGGG chair James Kelly, commented: “There is no reason why similar steps cannot be taken in Ireland.
“Our pig producers are a case in point. There is tremendous scope to replace imported soya with native oilseed rape, peas and beans in the rations fed to these animals.
“In so doing, the livestock sector would be directly supporting the Irish tillage sector while, at the same time, lowering its carbon footprint.
“It all adds up to a win:win scenario."
However, there is a logistical log jam where the use of homegrown oilseed rape in Irish livestock rations is concerned.
The seed must be crushed and the oil removed before the residue can be used for inclusion in compound feeds.
Kelly said: “There are approximately 70,000t of rapeseed grown in Ireland each year.
"However, there is only sufficient crushing capacity to deal with 10,000t of this output.
“The rest must be exported to the UK where the required crushing facilities are located.”
Given this backdrop, IGGG is calling for the development of additional rapeseed crushing capacity in Ireland.
Kelly noted that this was one of the recommendations contained within the report produced by the Tillage Vision Food Group that "must be acted upon".
He said: "The vision report also highlighted the general lack of flour milling facilities in Ireland.
"This issue has been acted on - we have had the recent news of a new flour milling investment in Co. Wexford.
“This is a 'good news’ story. But we also need to see the issue of Ireland having sufficient rapeseed crushing capacity being actively addressed."
IGGG intends highlighting the decision taken by the 2 Sisters’ Food Group at the next meeting of the Food Vision Tillage group.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, his department and the feed compounding sector will also be lobbied on the matter.
“The scope to increase the proportion of native grains in Irish compound feed rations is extremely significant," Kelly said.
