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July 16, 2009
Mr Pedro Correa de Barros,
FEFAC President, warns
livestock farmers that feed prices may increase significantly at
very short notice due to the EU zero-tolerance policy for the
presence of trace levels of not yet EU approved GM plants in
imported feeds.
He referred to the potential total loss of important soya
imports from the US following positive testing by German
authorities of traces (dust in foreign material) of not yet EU
approved GM maize in US soybeans and soybean meal. Of concern to
the EU livestock industry is that it needs to source soybeans
and soybean meal from the US at least until the next South
American harvest in spring 2010.
Soya prices could rise by at least 20 €/t due to additional
“risk premiums” for US origin and even significantly higher if
the EU could no longer import from the US, due to the lack of
alternative supplies from South America.
The EU is dependent for more than 80% on imports of vegetable
proteins for which there are no substitution possibilities in
the short term. EU imports of meat are all produced from animals
which may legally be fed with not yet EU authorised GM plants.
In a letter to the EU Farm Council Presidency he stated that “at
a time when most EU livestock producers were facing economic
hardship, the EU opposition to provide a practical threshold for
trace levels of not yet EU authorized GM plants in imported feed
may drive EU livestock farmers and feed operators out of
business”.
Mr Pedro Correa de Barros therefore called on EU Farm Ministers
“to agree on urgent measures at the next EU Farm Council meeting
on 13 July 2009 to prevent the export of the EU livestock
industry”. He stressed that "it is the EU's foremost
responsibility to ensure vital protein feed imports for
livestock farmers and thus food security for EU citizens while
maintaining an economically viable and sustainable livestock
sector".
BACKGROUND
1. FEFAC, the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation,
represents 21 national Associations in 20 EU Member States as
well as Associations in Switzerland, Turkey, Croatia, Serbia and
Norway with observer/associate member status. The European
compound feed industry employs over 110,000 persons on app.
4,500 production sites often in rural areas, which offer few
employment opportunities.
2. Farm animals in the EU-27 consume an estimated 470 million
tonnes of feed a year, of which 150 million tonnes are produced
by the compound feed manufacturers. Turnover of the European
compound feed industry was estimated at € 45 billion for 2008.
3. For more information see our
web site or please contact Alexander Döring, Secretary
General Tel. +32-2-285.00.50, Fax +32-2-230.57.22, e-mail:
fefac@fefac.eu. |
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