ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2021 31 COVID-19 pandemic, thus resulting in pronounced consequences for populations globally.” As stated in the statement in a sense, even if you can stop many things in life, it is impossible to stop the need for nutrition. People have to be fed to survive and all components of the food industry must continue to provide the necessary resources for nutrition. At the same time, it is extremely important that each country can provide at least staple foods with its own internal dynamics. Because, in extraordinary circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic process, countries that are heavily dependent on foreign food may experience much greater problems compared to other countries. Some countries’ restrictions on exports to meet their domestic demands during the pandemic process, the disruption of logistics processes, and the decline in production both affected the procurement processes of dependent countries and caused these countries to struggle with increasing prices. THE FEED SECTOR IN 2020 AND THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 Now, let’s mention what general data in the feed industry in 2020 tells us... Alltech, one of the most important players in the feed additives industry, has taken its annual Global Feed Survey report to a much higher level this year and provided important data to the livestock and feed industry. This resource, which I have used a lot in this issue of our magazine, conveys important information about how 2020 passed for the industry. According to this report, concerns about food supply caused panic purchases, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. However, later on, it turned out that the food supply chain continued to be stable and could meet the needs of consumers without much interruption. With no doubt, the pandemic had a different effect in each region. While this process caused more difficulties in regions such as Africa, it was managed in a more controlled manner in more stable countries. Perhaps the most important alternative solution of this process was emerged as the e-commerce system. Many companies have tried to overcome their sales and marketing challenges with e-commerce solutions and achieved considerable success in this regard. It is seen that e-commerce, which is now accepted more by consumers, will continue to be preferred as a lifestyle habit in the coming years. In 2020, the issue that affected animal products manufacturers the most was feed prices. Feed prices have increased significantly due to many factors such as insufficient production in grain raw materials, Covid-19 restrictions, and animal diseases. In addition to price increases, new decisions made by governments for more sustainable practices (such as reduced nitrogen use and reduction or abolition of antibiotic use) have been challenging for the industry. HOW WERE DIFFERENT PRODUCTION GROUPS AFFECTED BY THE PROCESS? The poultry industry had to combat rumors that the coronavirus spread primarily through the consumption of meat and meat products in 2020. Lockdowns applied to control the Covid-19 outbreak have affected the movement of vehicles carrying live animals, feed The demand for eggs, an important source of protein and a slightly more cost-effective food in 2020, has increased, thus allowing the industry, including poultry feed producers, to move in a more balanced path.
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