12.04.2012

The NFU (National Farmers Union) has successfully lobbied for a new EU regulation on organic feed that will give producers confidence in the sector.
The new regulation allows monogastric producers to use a five per cent allowance of non-organic protein feeds currently not available in organic form until the end of 2014.
There were concerns that the original proposal of 100 per cent organic diet from January 1, 2012 might leave poultry producers short of raw ingredients to provide the nutritional requirements for their birds.

The most notable other changes within the regulation is that producers will now be required to source a percentage of feed on a regional basis:

- 20 per cent of monogastric feed must be ‘produced in the same region in cooperation with other organic farms or feed business operators’ 

- 60 per cent of feed for herbivores must be sourced from either on-farm or from the region.