In recent years, USSEC has concentrated many of its efforts on the Polish market. This work is coming to fruition in the form of the constantly growing local compound feed industry, which serves Poland’s quickly expanding and improving livestock sector. Major growth has been observed in the poultry sector, which feeds over 20 million chickens a year and still buys the majority of its feeds from commercial feed manufacturers. The success rates achieved by the broiler growers include a 38-42 day cycle duration and an average final body weight of 2.5 kilograms. Additionally, feed utilizing per kilogram of those chickens’ growth is 1.6-1.7 kilograms. Last year, Poland’s broiler production increased by 10 percent, while turkey production increased by 15 percent and all poultry exports went up to 40 percent.
The country has seen tremendous growth and improvements in its feed milling sector with many recently modernized or constructed plants. USSEC representatives recently attended opening ceremonies at two super-modern, large feed mills: Golpasz’s mill located at Podkonice Duże in central Poland, which can manufacture up to 300 thousand metric tons of feed a year, and a similar capacity mill built for the Agrocentrum livestock and feed company in the northeastern corner of the country. Employees of both companies have long been involved in various educational activities organized by USSEC in Poland, other European countries, and the U.S., and have often expressed their appreciation for all that the U.S. Soy Farmers do for them.

A large portion of the support given by USSEC to its Polish customers comes via the Polish Grain & Feed Chamber, which is a very active and efficient industry association, often working with various policy challenges such as a legal biotech feed ban. USSEC and the Chamber frequently jointly organize various kinds of seminars and conferences for the local agricultural industries as well as policy makers.
From the U.S. soybean industry’s point of view, it is important for the Polish livestock and feed industry to remain a good client for the U.S. soybean meal and bypass soy and concentrates. The latest industry insiders’ reports indicate that a couple of new U.S. Hi-Pro meal vessels have already been contracted for Poland to be delivered later in the current marketing year.