THE IMPORTANCE OF PULSES Pulses for pigs - The great feed debate

摘要

"I am pleased to say that over the past four years PGRO has been an active member of the LINK-funded 'Green Pig' research project consortium, looking at the technical performance of both peas and beans in pig rations when compared to Hipro soyabean meal," says Salvador Potter. The UK pulse industry largely stopped growing peas and beans for protein feed some thirty years ago. This trend gained momentum after the signing of the 'Blair House Accord' in 1994when agricultural commodities became part of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), and the barriers to large-scale imports of soyabean products from the USA were lifted. The EU feed compounders quickly geared up to use ready-crushed and micronized soyabean meal finding the price, consistency, convenience and quality of these materials superior to pulses and other materials they had been using, with twice the protein content. As a result, the EU became the largest market for soyabean meal in the world - taking some 33 million metric tonnes per year, equivalent to over 70% of its total protein feed requirement.