He focused on five critical trends for the global industry, as he sees it.
1. Biosecurity
As long as effective vaccination is not available globally, he said animal diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF) and Avian Influenza (AI) will continue to disrupt the supply chain. “Biosecurity measures and good farm management can reduce the risk, but the animal feed industry will have to deal with the threat of animal disease well into 2021.”
2. COVID-19 pandemic
“COVID-19 has affected all of us, both on a personal and a professional level,” said the CEO. Even though the global feed industry has been quite resilient during this crisis, this risk of further outbreaks will continue to impact the industry over the next months, continued Visser.
3. Consumer preferences
Consumer preferences related to animal health, animal welfare and animal nutrition will continue to play a role in the feed and livestock industry this year, said the Hamlet Protein lead.
4. Government regulations
And legislative action will also have an impact this year.
“We see a growing number of countries trying to further reduce antibiotics in feed – that will force producers to find alternative ways to optimize their production. In 2022, the European Union will ban the pharmaceutical use of zinc oxide in feed, which will result in pig producers having to start adjusting their diets in 2021 to be ready for that regulation.”
5. Volatility
With COVID-19, ASF and Avian Influenza still in play, Visser said volatility will dominate the market in 2021. “Commodity pricing is expected to further drive up the feed cost putting pressure on profitability levels of producers all across the supply chain.”
