Roughage (fodder and silage maize) is the main source of protein in feed, accounting for 45% of the EU's total feed use (86 million tonnes), according to the 2017/2018 balance sheet of protein for animal feed, published on Monday 20 May by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12182/14).
These figures also show that oilseed cake provides almost a quarter of the protein for animal feed.
The EU is self-sufficient in terms of roughage, but produces only 26% of what it consumes in soya and rapeseed feed. 80% of the food used in the EU is of European origin.
This EU feed protein balance sheet presents the supply, demand and trade of animal feed. This includes crops (cereals, oilseeds and pulses), co-products (crushed soya, rapeseed and sunflower, protein-rich materials), non-plant based sources and roughage (grass, silage maize, fodder leguminous).
Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan welcomed a “significant improvement of market transparency”.
In terms of protein content, the results show that the EU self-sufficiency rate is high for products containing less than 15% protein as well as for those with a protein content above 50%, with 97 and 92% self-sufficiency respectively. In contrast, the EU produces only 29% of what it consumes for products containing between 30% and 50% protein. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)