Feed mill goes for 15% DDGS in pig diets

The US Grains Council has welcomed additional uptake in Ireland, for feeding to pigs, of American distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), the nutrient-rich co-product of dry-milled ethanol production.

The USGC said an increase in inclusion rates, from zero to 15%, by an Irish feed mill will add 75,000 metric tons in additional demand annually, valued at $17.2 million.

The USGC said “a leading feed mill in Ireland” upped its inclusion rate, following the Council’s work to promote the feed ingredient for pig diets.

Ireland is described as a consistent buyer of US DDGS, at just under 400,000 tons in 2018, valued at $91 million.

More recently, the Council worked with Irish traders and end-users, educating them on the benefits of including more DDGS in pig diets.

While DDGS inclusion rates for Irish ruminant animals have been on a par with US levels, inclusion rates for pigs and poultry diets had lagged behind.

This led to direct work with the pig industry to answer questions related to nutrition, and to the feed mill, producing 500,000 tons of pig feed annually, deciding to increase DDGS inclusion from zero to 15%.

“As an industry leader, this feed mill’s influence is considerable, which could lead to increased inclusion rates by other mills, a domino effect quite common around the world,” said Reece Cannady, USGC manager of global trade.

“As other feed mills switch, potential DDGS exports for commercial swine feed alone in Ireland could reach 200,000 tons, valued at $46 million, roughly a 50% increase over existing DDGS exports to the island.”

The USGC will conduct a feeding trial from August to September 2019 on a 1,000-head pig farm.

“The farm is owned by a group that sells raw materials to other producers,” Cannady said.

“If they can convince home mixers to switch to DDGS, the Council could help facilitate another 100,000 tons of DDGS exports to Ireland.”