Food Supply: Animal Feed

Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 9 October 2008.

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Photo of Bob Spink Bob Spink UKIP, Castle Point

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the level of production for each (a) food stock and (b) animal feed stock type in (i) 2008, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2006, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Hilary Benn Hilary Benn The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Information on the level of UK production of the major crop and livestock products for the calendar years 2004 to 2007, in thousand tonnes, which is published in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom", is presented in the following table. It should be noted that the figures for 2007 are provisional and 2008 data will not be published in full until around March 2009.

Certain items have food uses only i.e. fruit, vegetables, potatoes and all of the livestock products. Peas harvested dry and field beans are used for animal feed only. In the case of sugar beet and oilseed rape, these are processed to make sugar and oils respectively which are used for food and it is the by-products (pulp, molasses, meal/cake) which are used for animal feed. Cereals have a dual use for food and animal feed. The approximate proportions used within the food and animal feed sector are given in the second table.

Thousand tonnes
UK crop and livestock production (a) 2004( 1) 2005( 1) 2006( 1) 2007( 1)
Wheat (b) 15,473 14,863 14,735 13,137
Barley (b) 5,816 5,495 5,239 5,079
Oats (b) 627 532 728 712
Oilseed Rape (c) 1,607 1,898 1,890 2,108
Sugar Beet 9,042 8,687 7,400 7,525
Sugar (c) 1,390 1,341 1,157 1,164
Peas for harvesting dry (d) 176 156 122 80
Field beans (d) 661 705 617 375
Fresh vegetables (e) 2,591 2,737 2,650 2,526
Fresh fruit (e) 294 363 392 398
Potatoes (e) 6,246 5,979 5,727 5,635
Milk - volume for human consumption (e) 13,930 13,839 13,714 13,443
Hen eggs (e) 892 884 853 825
Cattle and calves beef and veal (e) 2,361 2,409 2,702 2,723
Pigs and pigmeat (e) 8,841 8,709 8,731 9,084
Sheep and lambs mutton and lamb (e) 15,493 16,539 16,590 15,979
Poultry and poultrymeat (e) 882 903 880 871
(1) Provisional

(a) These figures only relate to UK production and do not include imports or exports.

(b) Wheat, barley and oats can be used for both food and animal feed.

(c) The by-products from these industries are used in the manufacture of animal feed.

(d) Used within the animal feed sector only.

(e) Used within the food sector only.

In terms of total domestic uses, which will take into account imports and exports, the approximate proportions of the cereals crops used within the food and animal feed sector are given in the table. The remainder covers other uses such as seed.

Crop Food Feed
Wheat 42 51
Barley 35 63
Oats 59 38

A link to the publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom" is provided which gives access to detailed information on production, supply and use. https://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/auk/default.asp

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