A compound crisis of severe summer drought, Black Sea corridor disruptions, and strict EUDR compliance is threatening the European Union’s essential feed supply chains for the 2026/27 marketing year. The European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) urges immediate action from the European Commission to avert widespread raw material shortages and soaring production costs.

The European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) has formally requested the European Commission and Member States to establish an urgent EU contingency plan before the end of 2026 to protect the supply chains of essential feed ingredients. Addressing Irish Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon ahead of the AGRIFISH Council meeting, FEFAC warned that reduced home-grown feed-grain availability, constraints on Ukrainian maize and oilseed shipments, and sourcing complexities linked to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are creating severe bottlenecks.

FEFAC President Nicolas Coudry-Mesny

These combined pressures directly endanger critical energy, fibre, and protein sources, most notably soybean meal and palm kernel expeller. FEFAC President Nicolas Coudry-Mesny underscored the commercial stakes, stating, "Shortages and higher costs could undermine the viability of EU dairy, pork and poultry production, add to food price inflation and increase reliance on imports of products of animal origin."

Representing an industry with a €63 billion turnover that produces 147 million tonnes of compound feed annually for the EU’s 644-million-tonne feed market, FEFAC stresses that regulatory flexibility and mitigation measures are vital to prevent market access loss and secure European livestock production.