Page 39 of articles about feed

For the Dutch agricultural sector, 2009 was a bad year economically. Production increased slightly, but most primary agriculture market prices fell. The average agricultural income decreased to 5,500 euros per farm, its lowest point in twenty years.

International wheat prices have jumped by over 50 percent since June. This rapid increase in prices is prompting concerns about a repeat of the crisis of 2007/08. But after two consecutive years of record crops, world inventories have been replenished sufficiently to cover the current anticipated production shortfall.

Total cereal production in 2010 should be close to the average from the last five years. While the yield per hectare will be 5% above average, overall cultivated areas have decreased.

Several months of drought and heat in European have resulted in a decrease in the Russian grain production forecast to 62 million metric tons, 36 percent less than the last year crop.

Significantly reduced wheat and barley crop prospects, especially in the CIS and the EU, cut the 2010/11 global grains crop forecast by 8m. tons from July, to 1,745m., 2.4% below the previous year’s record.

The European Commission adopted today five Decisions authorising GM maize 1507x59122, 59122x1507xNK603, MON88017xMON810, MON89034xNK603 and Bt11xGA21 and one Decision renewing the authorisation of Bt11 maize. These 6 decisions cover the authorisation for food and feed uses and import and processing but not for cultivation.

The aim of the current study was to collect, compile and synthesise data on T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin, including contamination of food and feed commodities and products thereof in Europe, co-occurrence with other mycotoxins, and factors (environmental, agronomic and processing) influencing the levels of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in plant products used for food and feed production.

The European Commission has concluded its first settlement of a cartel case in a hybrid scenario, where both the settlement and ordinary procedures were followed. It has fined producers of animal feed phosphates a total of €175 647 000 for operating a cartel that lasted over three decades and covered a large part of the European Economic Area (EEA) territory.

The Animal Nutrition Association of Canada says livestock producers will need to pay close attention to the cost of feed ingredients this winter and adjust rations accordingly.

The Commission proposed to confer to Member States the freedom to allow, restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) on part or all of their territory.