CCF offers full labels on feed

From the archive, first published Thursday 6th Oct 2005.

A farmer-owned co-operative is fully disclosing the content of livestock feed produced at a mill it part owns.

Keith Gosney, general manager of Clynderwen and Cardiganshire Farmers Ltd, says manufacturers have no obligation to list the percentage content of compound feeds for customers.

He says the service CCF Ltd is offering gives farmers clarity and choice.

The co-operative has a 50% share of the Welsh Feed Producers Mill at Carmarthen, where 87,000 tonnes of ruminant feeds are produced annually.

Although Welsh Feed Producers sells compounds in its own right, CCF Ltd began selling its own feed from the site 18 months ago. Although the CCF Centenary brand is only part of the Society's compound feed offering, its aim has been to put a `competitive floor' in the market, for the benefit of farmer owners, said Keith Gosney.

"We didn't want to be the same as all the other manufacturers so we took the approach of offering something that we, as farmers, would want," he said.

"Every customer is entitled to a full disclosure telling them exactly what's in the feed and the percentage levels of each ingredient.''

Mr Gosney said CCF Ltd also offered fixed formulations which took the variables out of a cow's diet. "It takes a cow 14 days to adjust to be new diet. By offering her a consistent diet she is going to be more efficient at producing milk.''

He suggested part of the aim was to offer farmers savings of up to £9/tonne by cutting out the cost of a sales team. "We have a qualified field ruminant specialist who can offer advice,'' he said.

Welsh Feed Producers was created in 1998 as a joint venture between CCF Ltd, Wynnstay and ABN. Since 2003, it has been in the joint ownership of CCF Ltd and Wynnstay. The mill it acquired from Dalgety was losing a considerable amount of money, but the partnership has returned it to profit, providing competition for feed in the area as well as local employment.

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