On Tuesday April 9, in Genk (Belgium), at the informal Council of the EU Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries. Ministers discussed the necessity and possibility to develop growing of protein crops in the EU. Currently EU is able to grow and ensure only about 30% of the necessary amount of protein crops that is a very significant raw material in animal production and poultry farming as well as in food and animal feed production sectors. Protein crops, for example, beans, peas, soya, etc. are very important source of protein both in human food and animal feed.
The Minister for Agriculture, Armands Krauze: “Although the EU has the most developed agricultural and food production system in the world still, regarding provision with protein, we are dependent and vulnerable. To ensure sustainability of the EU food production and safety, the EU must considerably speed up its transition to more independence from imports of protein crops and particularly important is reducing EU dependence on resources of aggressor countries.”
The Minister also pointed out that for a wider growing and development of protein crops, EU must implement coordinated support instruments. Besides, support measures must be applied not only to growers of protein crops – farmers but also to processing enterprises and producers of animal feed who use only EU-grown protein crops. Just as allocation of support to companies and research projects, searching for new sources of protein, must be considered.