Politicians, feed experts and even farmers are aware of the fact that Europe is a deficit region, where protein crops are concerned.
And for Ireland as a country, this matter is of an even more acute nature.
So what are the actual figures? Currently the European Union (EU) is only 26% self-sufficient in plant protein materials.
The deficit is made by imports from across the world. A large proportion of these products are sourced in South America, an area of the world with an inherently high carbon and environmental footprint
Producing more proteins in the EU – and Ireland – is now a high priority for policy-makers.
Most of the plant protein produced in this country is in the form of ensiled forages. But the reality remains, that the country must increase its indigenous protein output.
There is also a requirement to increase protein output that is destined for direct human consumption.
National Protein Stakeholder Group
Ireland’s National Protein Stakeholder Group was established in 2021. Two of its members – Teagasc’s Ciaran Collins and Michael Fawle, from the agricultural merchanting business, Charles R Wynne – took part in the most recent Tillage Edge Podcast.
The group has three main priorities. The first is to improve farm profitability from protein crops versus other crops through variety improvement, better agronomic practices and bridging knowledge gaps.
The second objective is that of creating a positive market environment for indigenous protein crops by establishing their nutritional credentials and demonstrating to livestock producers the advantages of substituting imported proteins.
The group also wants to create greater recognition of the sustainability credentials of native-grown protein crops to achieve climate change and biodiversity targets by the displacement of imported protein sources.
According to Ciaran Collins, there is a need to look at more sustainable production systems, involving plant proteins.
“We saw this coming through in the Farm to Fork strategy and across various aspects of national policy. The group derives its membership from across industry,” he explained.
“These include Teagasc research scientists, policy representatives from the department of agriculture and representatives from key industry stakeholder bodies.”
Doubling the area of protein crops
The first challenge addressed by the group was that of assessing the actual potential to increase protein crop production in Ireland.
“Goals were then set in terms of how the sector could be expanded. We are currently growing around 10,000ha of protein crops,” Collins stated.
“The initial target established was that of supporting growers to produce around 130,000t of native protein crops on an annual basis from 20,000ha. The target date to achieve this expanded level of output is 2030.”
The new protein group produced a strategy group in 2022. Farmer profitability was identified as being crucial in this context.
“If it’s not profitable for the farmer, nothing will happen. Work ongoing in this context is looking at a range of issues, including better varietal improvement and the development of better agronomic practices,” Collins continued.
“The new protein payment, from the policy end, has been an important development in this regard.
“Creating demand for native protein is also important. There’s no point in tillage farmers producing protein crops, if they can’t be sold.
“To date this has involved establishing the nutritional credentials of home-grown proteins and how they can effectively substitute for imported sources,” he added.
Collins said that tying in with all this is the necessity of establishing the sustainability credential of native proteins.
“The sustainability levels achieved through the growing of peas and beans in this country are very strong; it’s now a case of getting this message out to the industry at large.”
Potential to grow peas
Michael Fawle is working with farmers in the south-east to grow proteins. However CR Wynne, as a business, is also buying the harvested crops back from growers for inclusion in animal rations.
The company has been involved in the growing of both peas and beans for three decades. In the Athy area, there had been a tradition of growing peas for the Bachelor plant.
“So, many of our good growers in that area would have formerly had a Bachelor’s supply contract,” Fawle explained.
“Side by side with that, growers on heavier land would have included beans in their rotations. In the Carlow area, we would have specialised more in bean growing, again on some of the heavier land.
“As a consequence, we are handling both crops. In essence we are sub-contractors for the Bachelor operation working out of Dublin.”
He explained that they work with up to 1,000t of peas annually. This entails accepting the crops from the field, drying and cleaning them. adding that the peas they handle are destined for canning.
According to Fawle, Charles R Wynne processes a range of cereals, maize, soya, peas and beans for inclusion in speciality animal feeds.
“The focus here is on calf and lamb rations plus ingredients for the horse industry. So peas and beans are an integral part of the products that we supply to farmers and other milling operations,” he said.
“The Bachelor business is a standalone contract. But, from a general business perspective, we could easily handle an additional 3,000t of green peas for our toasting plant on an annual basis.
“This is because they are very attractive in a calf or young animal ration. There is a huge market out there for calf feeds, as the dairy herd continues to expand.”
Fawles went on to point out that a combination of peas, beans and flaked maize is a very effective ration for horses.
“And we are going down the same road, where starter calf feeds are concerned,” he further explained. We are in the business of supplying this type of ration to our customers and the trade more generally,” he said.
Protein crops for all rations
Fawle explained that beans can also be used in a range of beef rations where they toast and flake the beans for inclusion in these feeds.
“Beans represent the option of choice, in this regard. To a large extent this is because we cannot get the quantities of beans that we would like,” he stated.
One upside of beans is their higher protein content. Values are normally in the range 28-30%. In contrast the protein levels of peas normally fall in the range of 20-22%.
As a consequence, beans will force themselves into a beef ration, purely on the basis of their enhanced protein levels.
There is a general perception that feed compounders shy away from beans because they are extremely difficult to include in cubes.
“In our own plant, we don’t make cubes. The business specialises in the production of coarse meals,” Fawle continued.
“However, we do have a demand from some millers to include bans in their summer rations. This is because they contain a certain level of wax, which bind better, if cubes are required at that time of the year.
“Back in the day when soya was €350/t and distillers’ grain was available at €150/t, beans had to be price competitive with the distillers’ option.
“So, if beans are not price competitive, they will stay in the merchant’s shed,” he said.
Today distillers’ grain is on offer in the range €400 to €450/t. Their price has tracked that of soya, which is now available at €600 to £650/t, according to Fawle.
“But all of this puts processed beans in the €400 to €450/t range as well,” he said.
The reality is that beans have no problem finding their way into rations at the moment.
Commercial contract supply quotes for beans are currently in the region of €285/t.
“This has been a very positive development, as it gives farmers a degree of certainty moving forward,” Ciaran Collins stated.
“The good weather of recent weeks has given growers every opportunity to get crops of beans into the ground.
“The figures are moving in the right direction. A combination of the projected support protein payment and an end price of €185/t should generate a margin from beans twice the size of that which can be obtained from spring barley at 3t/ac,” he concluded.