ADM invests in German facility to address non-GMO soymeal trend in Europe
The agribusiness group said it is further investing in its crushing facility at Straubing, located in southern Germany, to support the production of high-protein meal, adding to the existing non-GMO crushing capacity at the plant.
John Grossmann, president, European crush and origination, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) said the added capability will enable it to produce non-GMO soybean meal for the local poultry, dairy and pig feed markets.
“The new equipment is state-of-the-art and highly energy efficient, producing superior quality high-protein meal.”
ADM is also in favor of initiatives that can help farmers do more with less, stressed Grossmann.
“This issue is a critical goal for agriculture; new technologies and products are key in the effort to feed a growing global population while limiting increased use of farmland and water.”
He said ADM recognizes its customers’ desire for options; it is looking to meet the growing need for identity-preserved crops and products. “Because of our vertical integration, we have developed — for certain product lines — systems that track and preserve crop identity from seed to factory to finished product," he told us.
The company said the expansion of its non-GMO soybean processing capabilities at Straubing gives local farmers a further incentive to grow more non-GMO soybeans and benefit from bringing soybeans into crop rotations.
The demand for non-GMO soybean meal from European soybeans is steadily growing, said ADM.
Earlier this year, it expanded its soy processing capabilities at its facility in Spyck in Germany.
In the last 12 months, the company has been working with farmers and industry partners across Europe to create further opportunities to grow and market soybeans in the region. It has been collaborating with industry accreditation bodies to create further opportunities to grow and market soybeans across northwest Europe.
EU soybean cultivation
EU soybean output this year will reach 2.7m tons in 2017/2018, which is 49.4% ahead of the five-year average, according to data from the EU Commission.
Yields are said to be improving due to the use of seed varieties more suitable to temperate climates.
Italy is the bloc's top producer, with soybean output of 1.08m tons. Romania is showing good harvests, with fast growth rates – its output for 2017/2018 is forecast at 420,000 tons, and France, where production is predicted to hit 400,000 tons in 2017/2018.
French agribusiness group, Avril, which owns the largest feed manufacturer in the country, Sanders, and agri-cooperative, Euralis, have collaborated on a soybean crushing plant in the southwest of France. Processing got underway last month.
The companies said the facility represented a step in the direction of the development of a 100% French-grown soy market even if it will only process 25,000 tons of French-grown soybeans annually.
