Key facts
- FEFAC is calling for an EU contingency plan to safeguard essential feed supplies.
- Drought, disrupted Ukrainian feed-grain supplies, and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) threaten feed material availability.
- The combined pressures could lead to shortages and higher costs for EU dairy, pork, and poultry production.
- FEFAC expects the EU to require over 7 million tonnes of additional maize imports for the 2026-27 marketing year.
- Additional direct feed sourcing costs for soy products could exceed €1 billion (US$1.17 billion) in 2027.
- Low water levels on inland shipping corridors are increasing transport costs for feed materials.
The European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (FEFAC) has urged the European Commission and Member States to establish an EU contingency plan to protect essential feed supplies for the livestock sector. The call comes ahead of the Agriculture and Fisheries (AGRIFISH) Council meeting on September 28-29.
FEFAC members, representing compound feed and premix manufacturers across the EU, highlighted that a confluence of factors—including a severe summer drought, disruptions to Ukrainian feed-grain supplies via the Black Sea, and the impending implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)—are jeopardizing critical feed material supply chains for fibre, energy, and protein sources for the 2026/27 marketing year.
FEFAC President Nicolas Coudry-Mesny warned that the cumulative impact of these pressures significantly increases the risk of disruption, potentially leading to shortages and higher costs. This, he stated, could undermine the viability of EU dairy, pork, and poultry production, contribute to food price inflation, and increase the EU's reliance on imports of animal products.
FEFAC experts anticipate that the EU will need to import over 7 million tonnes of additional maize during the 2026-27 marketing year, bringing total maize import requirements to over 26 million tonnes. Most of this additional supply is expected to come from Ukraine, the United States, and Brazil. The federation also noted that the forage shortage is expected to exacerbate the EU's feed protein deficit, increasing demand for imported soy products. The direct feed sourcing costs for soy products alone could exceed €1 billion (US$1.17 billion) in 2027, with no guarantee of sufficient market availability.
To address these challenges, FEFAC is calling for the revival of crisis mitigation measures previously implemented in 2022. These include open transit and market access for Ukrainian feed grains, temporary national derogations on residue limits for imported feed grains, and simplified administrative requirements for soy products under the EUDR. The federation also requested temporary derogations for protein sources and forages used in organic feed.
Furthermore, FEFAC pointed to logistical challenges, such as low water levels on major inland shipping routes, which are forcing more feed materials onto road and rail, increasing transport costs. To mitigate this, they proposed temporary national derogations on feed truck driving hours and an increase in the maximum load for cross-border feed transport to 44 tonnes. These measures, FEFAC stated, are crucial for maintaining feed and food security and animal welfare.