PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND — ABN, part of AB Agri, a manufacturer of pig and poultry compound animal feed in Britain, recently announced that it intends to build a feed mill in eastern England as part of an ongoing investment program.

Already the largest animal feed compounder in the UK, operating 11 mills, ABN said the proposed new mill will have the capacity to produce 1 million tonnes of pig and poultry feed per year.

ABN said the investment aims to provide a sustainable solution for an industry currently close to capacity as it tries to keep pace with the rising demand for animal feed.

With the UK population estimated to reach 77 million by 2050, it is projected that chicken and pig production will need to expand to meet the increased demand for protein products.

“UK agriculture faces exciting opportunities ahead to meet the demand for food from a growing population, not just domestically but globally, too. This demand will drive the need for more protein products, from more productive animals and consequently drive even greater demand for animal feed,” said Simon Heath, managing director of AB Agri’s compound feed division.

“With an industry operating at near capacity, we are exploring all options to improve and expand our manufacturing capabilities to meet this demand, support our customers’ long-term ambitions for growth, and strengthen our own business, too,” he added.

ABN noted that it has invested heavily across its mill sites and transport fleet in recent years and that this project is a key extension of that program. The business will continue to invest in its existing sites.

“The complexities of building a pioneering new mill can only be considered as a long-term project, and at this stage timings cannot be confirmed,” Heath said. “We are looking at the viability of a number of sites in the East of England region. We will share our new location as soon as we are able to do so but what I can announce is that we are intending to build the UK’s biggest and most efficient compound animal feed mill. Not only that, the mill will deliver improved animal feed quality, improved reliability, efficiency and sustainability plus greater traceability.”

José Nobre, chief executive officer of AB Agri, added: “This project is transformational and will drive an exciting new future for ABN and the UK’s food and farming businesses. The investment underlines our commitment to investing in the future of agriculture and playing an important role in building our industry’s global reputation.”