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Irish Grain & Feed Association

IGFA

Promote the interest of the Irish Feed Industry ( compounders, importers of feed materials & premix companies) to the Irish and EU Institutions.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Nina Carberry (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Jan 2025 · CAP

Response to Cross-contamination levels and analytical methods for antimicrobials in feed

7 Nov 2023

IGFA represents compound feed manufacturers in Ireland. Our compound feed manufacturers aim is to produce conventional feed, which is nutritionally balanced feed, meeting the farm animals nutritional requirements and supporting their performance. This enables us to support safe, efficient and economically viable livestock production. The production of medicated feed is a service some IGFA feed manufacturers provide to farmers whose veterinarians determine that a medicated feed is required. IGFA welcomes the general approach adopted by the EU Commission to establish maximum limits for residues of antimicrobials in non-target feed in particular the differentiation of limits between sensitive species such as dairy, laying poultry and animals in the period preceding slaughter and non-sensitive species. We also welcome the link between the actual inclusion rate of the active substance in the medicated feed and the limits of residues. However, IGFA considers that complying with the 1% carry-over for feed for non-sensitive species will be demanding and require either a large volume of flushing materials which will pose challenges for many reasons including storage and use of such material or investment in special and costly equipment such as dedicated production lines, end-of-line mixer or fine dosing system (the last two options are not suitable for pelleted feed). Complying with the limits set at LOQ for feed for sensitive species will also require complicated sequencing protocols. As a consequence, some compound feed manufacturers licensed to produce medicated feed may cease to manufacture medicated feed, thus reducing farmers' choice. For the sake of fair trade across member states, details of the actual LOQ levels for all antibiotics should be standard across member states. Also, for the sake of transparency, national competent authorities should be required to publish in a repository the longest withdrawal period per active substance and species. A transition period of at least 12 months is also essential to allow producers of medicated feed to adapt their manufacturing equipment to the new requirements and to allow farmers who may no longer have access to medicated feed produced by a feed mill to invest in equipment for on-farm production of medicated feed or administration to animals by other routes.
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Meeting with Mairead McGuinness (Commissioner) and

15 Mar 2022 · Current conflict in Ukraine and the Impact on grain and feed

Meeting with Dermot Ryan (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

9 Sept 2020 · EU/UK future trade relations