French animal feed manufacturers to invest nearly €1 billion
French animal feed producers intend to make substantial investments in their facilities, aiming to provide a boost to the national livestock sector. However, heatwaves and drought threaten to throw a spanner in the works.
The French animal feed industry will invest a combined total of €950 million over the next 4 years to modernise its production facilities. The primary goal is to increase capacity, ensuring that the national livestock sector can continue to be supplied with domestically produced feed, thereby strengthening the much-discussed concept of food sovereignty.
Cattle feed production increase, lower poultry and pig production
Last year, these facilities produced over 19.6 million tonnes of animal feed – a modest 0.6% increase. In recent months, however, this growth has come to a standstill. In July, production reached just over 1.57 million tonnes, down 1.4% compared to the same month last year.
Production of pig feed fell by nearly 7% to 328,000 tonnes, while poultry feed production dropped by nearly 4% to 658,600 tonnes. A notable exception was cattle feed, which saw a 7.5% increase, reaching 463,300 tonnes. According to the industry association SNIA, this is a direct consequence of the drought. Because grass growth fell well below normal levels – with virtually no new growth since June – cattle farmers were forced to provide their livestock with larger quantities of dry feed.
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Impact of drought, maize harvest drop
The drought is also affecting the sector. According to the latest figures, the French grain maize harvest – at just 8 million tonnes – is 42% smaller than in the previous season. For soft wheat, the damage was limited to a 5% decline, while the barley harvest saw a drop of nearly 9%.
"We are grappling with the consequences of this past summer regarding the supply of essential raw materials," states SNIA. The organisation adds: "Nevertheless, SNIA reaffirms the commitment of manufacturers to livestock farmers and the French agricultural sector. We are fully mobilised to ensure that they can continue to feed all their animals. In doing so, we also aim to support the country’s goals for food sovereignty."
Investing nearly a billion euros
The goal is to increase production to 20.8 million tonnes by 2030 – an increase of 1 million tonnes over current levels. To achieve this, the 70 manufacturers affiliated with SNIA plan to invest €950 million. These funds will be directed toward expanding and modernising facilities – many of which are outdated – as well as increasing storage capacity and improving logistics.
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Investments will also be made in enhanced sanitary safety, better working conditions, and superior environmental performance. To facilitate this, SNIA is requesting accelerated depreciation for capital investments in the agricultural sector.
Chairman Dominique Breton states: “We must invest in our existing facilities. Heatwaves must not be allowed to further accelerate the contraction of the livestock sector. We know all too well that once a livestock operation shuts down, it never returns. We stand by French farmers, providing them with the feed they need. Whether it concerns quantity or quality, they can count on us. We hope the government will be willing to implement the measures necessary to make our plans a reality.”