09.12.2017

A huge increase in the cost of vitamins and synthetic pigments will add to poultry feed costs over the coming months. Reasons for the increase include China significantly scaling back its production of vitamins A and E in an effort to reduce factory emissions, and a large fire at the BASF plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. This plant is one of the world’s primary suppliers of vitamins and colourants and it is not expected to be up and running again until April at the earliest. The German factory produced 50 per cent of vitamins A and E on the market. It was also the only supplier of red pigment that was approved for use under the British Egg Industry Council's Lion code.