Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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558. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans establish a working group to promote the production of feed compounds to reduce the ever-increasing imported feed bill. [50762/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to establish a working group to promote the production of compound feed. There are some 100 compound feed manufacturers in the State producing in excess of 4 million tonnes per annum. It is important to the Irish feed industry that there is a consistent supply of quality feed, especially the pig and poultry industry and those rations requiring a high protein content. Significant quantities of high protein feed materials, such as Soya Bean Meal, Distillers Dried Grains and Maize Gluten Feed are imported as there is limited scope for alternative protein substitution from home-grown protein crops.