APPENDEX II TO ANNEX III OF FINAL REPORT

OF THE CONCERTED ACTION"ANIMAL FEED AND NUTRITION" (AFN)

“FEED DATA BASES, FEED DATA MANAGEMENT AND FEED DATA EXCHANGE

IN EUROPE; PROCEEDINGS OF SESSION 2 OF THE NUTRITION COMMISSION

DURING THE 42ND ANNUAL MEETING EAAP IN BERLIN 1991

EU AIR CONCERTED ACTION ”ANIMAL FEED AND NUTRITION”SECRETARIAT : JAGERSVELD 2, 8222 AB LELYSTADPHONE : + 31 320 231819FAX : + 31 320 213089EMAIL : enfic@wxs.nlINTERNET : www.wxs.nl/~enfic

CONTENTS

1. Programme of session 2 of the Nutrition Commission of EAAP, 42nd annual meeting in Berlin 1991 page 3

2. The importance of access to international standardised information on feeds and feeding in general and for the development of sound animal production systems in particular.F. Prévost, EEC, Brussels, Belgium.Page 4

3. The International Network of Feed Information Centres as an umbrella of international Feed Data Exchange.J.E. Knipfel, Agriculture Canada, Canada page 8

4. The European Network of Feed Information Centres as contributor to more efficient animal nutrition in the European Hemisphere. Report of EAAP-Working group "Feed Data Bases, Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange in Europe"J.M.C. Ramelho Ribeiro, Estaca Zootecnica Nacional, Vale de Santarem, Portugal page 16

5. Current situation, development and future prospects of Feed Data Bases in:- Western Europe (NL, UK, F, G)

D.I. Givens, ADAS Feed Evaluation Unit, Stratford on Avon, UK

page 27- Eastern Europe (PL, USSR, H, Tsj.-Sl)

Antoniewicz, Institut Zootechniki, Crakow, Poland page 31- Northern Europe (S, N, Finl, DK)

F. Strudsholm, LRGC, Aarhus, Denmark. page 33- Southern Europe (It, JSl, GR., P, Esp.)

P. Susmel, Universita 'Degli Studi Di Udine, Italy page 36

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PROGRAMME OF SESSION 2 OF THE NUTRITION COMMISSION OF EAAP, 42nd Annual Meeting in Berlin 1991

"FEED DATA BASES, FEED DATA MANAGEMENT AND FEED DATA EXCHANGE IN EUROPE"

("INFORMATION ON COMPOSITION AND FEEDING VALUE OF FEEDS")Chairman (N. Benedictus, INFIC)

Monday 9 September 1991, 13.30 - 17.30 hours

13.30 - 14.15 1. The importance of access to international standardised information on feeds and feeding in general and for the development of sound animal production systems in particular.F. Prevost, EEC, Brussels, Belgium.

14.15 - 15.00 2. The International Network of Feed Information Centres as an umbrella of international Feed Data Exchange.J.E. Knipfel, Agriculture Canada, Canada

15.00 - 15.30 Tea

15.30 - 15.50 3. The European Network of Feed Information Centres as contributor to more efficient animal nutrition in the European Hemisphere. Report of EAAP-Working group "Feed Data Bases, Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange in Europe"J.M.C. Ramelho Ribeiro, Estaca Zootecnica Nacional, Portugal

15.50 - 16.50 4. Current situation, development and future prospects of Feed Data Bases in:

- Western Europe (NL, UK, F, G)D.I. Givens, ADAS, UK(15.50 - 16.05)

- Eastern Europe (PL, USSR, H, Tsj.-Sl)Antoniewicz, Institut Zootechniki, Crakow, Poland

(16.05 - 16.20) - Northern Europe (S, N, Finl, DK)

F. Strudsholm, LRGC, Aarhus, Denmark.(16.20 - 16.35)

- Southern Europe (It, JSl, GR., P, Esp.) P. Susmel, Universita 'Degli Studi Di Udine, Italy

(16.35 - 16.50)

16.50 - 17.30 5. Posterpresentation (and explanation), regarding examples of results of animal nutrition research ready for submission to Feed Information Centres for inclusion in Feed Tables etc.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO INTERNA TIONAL STANDAR DISED INFORMATION ON FEEDS AND FEEDING IN GENERAL AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

SOUND ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN PARTICULAR.

François Prevost

Animal feedingstuffs Division VI C 2Directorate-General for Agriculture

Commission of the European Communities

Introduction

Instead of Mr. J. Sousa Uva, Head of the Division for animal feedingstuffs of the Commission of the European Communities I am going to talk to you about the importance of the feedingstuff sector within agriculture and the necessity to create instruments for the management and following of this market.

To illustrate my analysis I shall base myself on European Community information but I am sure that everyone will be able to apply it to his or her own situation.

1. The central position of animal feedingstuffs within agriculture

Large quantities of agricultural crops are involved in animal nutrition :- the bulk of the community production of cereals and oil-rich pulses (arable land) goes into animal nutrition

as well as - almost all grassland produce (permanent grassland) and other home-grown fodder crops.All in all, almost three quarters of the cultivated land is used for animal nutrition without taking into account the numerous by-products of the agro-industry (bran, oilcakes, corn-gluten feed, pulp ...) whose value is enhanced by animal nutrition. Thus animal nutrition provides a substantial income to those concerned and takes care of what is generally regarded as waste from the environmental point of view.

From the point of view of animal production, animal nutrition accounts for the principal input (50 to 80%) of the costs of meat production depending on the species of animal. It plays a major role in the conversion of primary often non-edible products (grasses, by-products) to edible animal products and contributes significantly to the supply of high-quality animal protein food for human consumption.

The exchange of information on feedingstuffs and their use is in this context of paramount importance. It is the link between animal production and crop production/land use and it can contribute to a micro-economic and macro-economic balance. Even if the animal nutrition market itself is not subject to a specific organization within the EC it reflects quite clearly the development of animal production and crop production markets since these two markets meet at the demand for animal feedingstuffs. The slides given in the annex represent meat consumption in the Community from 1984/85 to 1990/91 enabling us to trace the stakes and the major developments over that period.

2. The creation of instruments to follow and manage the animal nutrition market

There ought to be a set of instruments to follow and manage the animal nutrition market in terms of prices, quantities, animal diet and quality. These instruments serve the aim of working out an overall animal nutrition policy covering :

- the development of demand by following animal production;- the development of supply by following the results of the supply of crop products and of large-scale

farming and set-aside;- the interaction between supply and demand by working out the animal feedingstuff matrices per livestock

category;- price relations at levels of supply (effects of substitution) and between supply and demand (meat/feed

index).

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In practice, at a macro-economic level these instruments are built on a dynamic and manageable statistic basis covering several units (region, country, Community) so that the characteristics of each entity can be taken into account.

The micro-economic level makes it possible to interpret the overall indicators (composition of feedingstuff, production structure, interaction roughage/ concentrates intake). This construction must allow a better programming of crop production and domestic animals with a parallel following of foreign trade (exports/imports) thanks to a proper reading of the market not only in terms of statistics but also in political terms, based on the indicators which shed light on possible substitutes and input/output relations.

The information gathered on the representative points concerning animal production and consumption at farm level and at the level of the animal nutrition industry allows an elaboration of the nutritional constraints to respond to the needs of the animal for nutritious elements and to establish standards for the use of raw material in the general diet. This requires an adequate approach to the composition of available products on the one hand and on the other to the needs of the animal according to the system of production that is used (intensive or extensive) as well as the fodder balance (supply and demand) of the farm to evaluate roughage intake, optimize its utilization and determine the need for compound feed or complementary feedingstuffs.

The industrial compounder resolves this problem with the help of linear programming introducing :

- the nutritional value of raw material (energy content, proteins, cellulose, amino acids, minerals ...);- the constraints on the formula (minimum/maximum of each raw material, minimum/maximum of

nutritional elements to be obtained in the composed feedingstuff);- the price of the various raw materials.

On the basis of these data the optimum formula is obtained against minimum costs and taking full account of the quantitative and nutritional constraints; besides, the invariance price bracket of a raw material to retain its rate of mixing is determined.

This quantitative and qualitative information about the global diet allows the elaboration of the consumption indexes (quantity of feedingstuff plotted versus the energy necessary to produce 1 kg of meat).

It also permits to understand the effects of substitution from the feedingstuff point of view (substitute one feedingstuff partly or entirely for another or for a mixture equivalent in terms of nutrition, but costing less).

From the land use point of view the way of feeding is not neutral because it constitutes the principal outlet for applying crop rotation. The competition between agricultural productions is expressed differently for the use of land (land use) and for animal consumption (feed use). This may be illustrated by the competition between pulses and cereals;

land use : 1000 ha of pulses instead of 1000 ha cereals and yielding a production of 5000 t of pulses used in animal feeding, replace a production of 7000 t of cereals which would have been exported considering the aspect of surplus results (assuming that the effective results are 5t/ha and 7t/ha respectively);

feed use : 5000 t of pulses instead of 3000 t of cereals and 2000 t of soya oilcake (considering a common energy value of 1 FU/kg and a protein content of respectively 10 % concerning cereals, 25 % concerning pulses and 46 % concerning soya oilcakes).

Consequence : the production of 5000 t of pulses yields a "net saving" of export potential of 4000 t of cereals (7000 - 3000). This net saving could even reach 7000 t of cereals if the substitution of pulses/manioc, soya had been envisaged.

Likewise, an area set aside yields a corresponding net saving of large-scale farming less the feed value of silage possibly produced and consumed by livestock. The use of agricultural products for non-food purposes shows the balance of the same quantities less the feed value of the by-products consumed by livestock (estimated at one third of the quantities claimed in the case of cereals).

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3. The exchange of harmonized information.

Eventually, the elaboration of the optimum intake (roughage + concentrates intake) can only be obtained through a regular exchange of harmonized information both at a worldwide level (national, communal) and at a regional level at the continued spaces integrating the development of systems of production of representative enterprises. This exchange of information leads, moreover, to :

- adjust the cropping plan and the management of agricultural land;- minimize the costs of animal production;- reduce the negative effects on the environment (disposal of manure in keeping with feeding methods and

livestock densities);- guarantee the quality of the end product and its added value;- optimize feedingstuff returns in meat;- improve the breeder's income and his quality of live.

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Annex

Slides

1. Development of meat production2. Meat consumption per head3. Assessment of demand for concentrates per livestock category4. Milk production; number of dairy cows; average yield/cow5. Development of prices and animal consumption of marketable key products6/7. Competitiveness of cereals in comparison with soya and key products8. Development of the Dollar/ECU parity

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THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF FEED INFORMATION CENTRESAS AN UMBRELLA FOR INTERNATIONAL DATA EXCHANGE.

J.E. Knipfel

Research StationResearch Branch

Agriculture CanadaSwift Current , Saskatchewan

Canada

Abstract

INFIC was conceived as a forum or umbrella for the exchange of information on feed composition, nutritive values of feeds of feedstuffs, and tear relation to their production. In the two decades since the concept of INFIC was first proposed, there have been tremendous changes in capability to exchange and process feedstuffs databases trough the development of microcomputer technology, which have forced a shift in concepts of the organisation an functioning of feed information centres. At the same time there ave been significant changes in analytical methodology for feedstuffs composition, as well as the expression of nutritive values.

All these factors point out a need for alterations in several facets of the INFIC operational structure, and some have occurred, notably in creation of an INFIC secretariat in Lelystad, the Netherlands. Other proposals include examination of the International Feed Classification System, developed of networks of database worldwide, and more effort in the areas of analytical methodology and nutritive values expression.

The major limitation to increased activity by INFIC is a lack of support in financial terms by many governments, and international bodies. Continued growth of the INFIC organization is centred in Europe for at present and this activity is expected to increase. There is an urgent need to revitalize North America in this area as well as to extend efforts into developing nations globally.

Introduction

The concept that there should be a forum for international feed data exchange was originally developed long before the INFIC organization came to existence, originating with nineteenth and early twentieth century developments in expression of nutritive value, and documented in publications of comparative nutritive values of feeds, such as those of Kellner (1905) and Henry (1898).

During this century there has been a proliferation of data on nutritive values and compositions of feeds which have been tabulated in a host of publications, usually in conjunction with tables of nutrient requirements or allowance standards for animals. These publications have developed largely along national or regional lines although the differences among some systems of expressing nutrient requirements or allowances have been reduced considerably with the adoption of some modification of net energy and utilizable protein expressions.Within the same period there have been many new laboratory methods developed for estimating the nutritive value of feeds, many of which may be poorly understood outside the region of use. The recent developments in the area of instrumental methods for analysis, for example Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, have added, and will continue to add more analytical capability but at the same time more uncertain-ly in terms of standardized methodology.

The largest single use of these data has been and will continue to be for ration formulation for livestock, although increasingly the data are used in the feedstuffs industry for pricing and regulation, that is, for the setting of quality standards for local, regional, and international use.Since the advent of the computer whit it's associated ration formulation and database manipulation software, and with the development of microcomputer technology, the use and availability of feedstuffs databases has increased by orders of magnitude, although there has been a lack of adoption of common systems.

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The great proliferation of information in the areas of feedstuffs composition, nutritive value assessment and expression, and in the application of these data to animal production, suggest that there should be a coordinating body which would provide a forum or "umbrella" for the development of more universal approaches to these problems.

I submit that INFIC is in a strong position to carry out this "umbrella" role, as a result of historical development, present interest by a number of parties, and potential for future activities and support. There are, however, a number of problems which need to be overcome. In this presentation I will attempt to outline the past, present and future roles which INFIC can play in the subject of not only feedstuffs data exchange but also in a number of associated areas.

At the Second Symposium of INFIC, held in Sydney, Australia, in 1983, Dr. Balch, in his opening address to the symposium, outlined the Past, Present and Future of INFIC. In the eight years which have transpired since the Second Symposium there have been significant changes in the INFIC organisation, for the most part positive, but not entirely so. I will examine the concept of the "umbrella" function of INFIC in relation to Dr. Balch's remarks, in relation to events of the past decade and their impact on INFIC, and in relation to potential future activities of the organisation.

We need to examine the following questions in some detail:- Where has INFIC been?- Where is INFIC now?- Where should INFIC go?

These questions need to be answered in terms of feedstuffs composition, nutritive value and animal production parameters, database functions, and the ability of INFIC to carry out its Umbrella function on a global basis.

1. Historical Developments of INFIC

In looking back to the history of feed composition reporting, efforts in this area have been ongoing for more than 100 years, and are closely tied to the development of systems for expression of nutritive value. Current publications of animal nutrient allowances or suggested requirements invariably contain a substantial body of information on feedstuffs composition, usually for feeds of regional interest.

Why would this be appropriate?The obvious difficulties in times and costs of obtaining nutritive values for large numbers of feeds from direct animal experiments have led to the concept of "prediction" of nutritive value from more rapid and less costly indicators of nutritive value such as various measurements of feed composition. Unfortunately, there have been only sporadic attempts to develop standardized procedures for analysis and reporting, and thus there are developed a host of expressions of nutritive value and feed composition, all of which are more or less interrelated, but for which the quantitative relationships are open to discussion, and are the subject of frequent argument. Regardless of the expression of feed composition and nutrient allowance used, the primary use of the data is in the formulation of rations for livestock. In this context, the largest single influence in the past quarter century upon the ability to formulate rations has been the development of computer technology.

During the late 1940s, Dr. Haendler and colleagues at Hohenheim University and Dr. Harris and co-workers at Utah State University, independently began to develop computerised systems for documentation of feedstuffs composition and nutritive values. These two initial visions form the basis for development of more recent and present efforts being made worldwide in feedstuffs database management and use and have been the cornerstones upon which INFIC has been built. It should not be forgotten that these pioneers did nit simply store data but intended the systems as a means of exchange of information and a meeting point for relating feedstuffs data and animal production worldwide.

In 1970, FAO began to explore the possibilities of establishing a means of providing information on the composition and nutritive values of feedstuffs used in developing countries, as well as achieving access to data on this subject. Largely as a result of the efforts of Balch wile at FAO a group of experts made several important contributions to stimulate activity in feedstuffs database exchange. Alderman (1971) reviewed the situation of feedstuffs composition and nutritive value worldwide and recommended that an effort be made by FAO to improve the coordination and standardisation of activity in these areas, as well as proposing the establishment of an international network of feed information centres, that is, INFIC. This trust resulted in the convening of a series off

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meetings, under the auspices of FAO, beginning in Rome in 1971 and culminating in the formal approval of the INFIC constitution in Rome in 1980. During that period, and in the decade following, the membership of INFIC has increased substantially until at the present time membership stands at 36 institution, as shown in table 1. This membership represents a doubling in number of institutions since the formal creation of INFIC in 1980.

The early developments by Haendler and Harris in computerized database were of necessity carried out on the computers of the day-large, mainframe units which were not readily accessible to potential users, which had limited interface capability, were not user-friendly, and were primarily a tool of the computerexpert and -specialist. It is to the credit of these pioneers that they were able to accomplish the great strides that were to be made, particularly in terms of developing an international Feed Numbering system which has been widely accepted, and a series of publications on feedstuffs composition which are used worldwide. However, the development of these mainframe based systems, also created a serious problem in more recent times, the problem being one of making the systems more accessible to users who were equipped with desktop computers, or even the portable battery powered units, and were becoming extremely powerful and versatile.

Ironically, the mainframe based centres have become, in the eyes of some, particularly in North America, obsolete, although there has been little effort or support to update the current system.

The Australian Feed Information Centre was the first INFIC member to develop a workable microcomputer-based system for feedstuffs database and ration formulation, and this system has been studied by several other feed information centres, as well as INFIC, as a potential Universal package.

Developments in microcomputer technology over the past several years have now put capability for comprehensive databases on the desk of anyone so desiring such a system, and a great number of such systems ave been developed, particularly within the feed industry. This trend is expected to continue and a real danger exists tat the day will soon come when these databases will be totally proprietary and unavailable to the industry in general. In conjunction with this trend, the real possibility exists that a decrease in cooperation concerning related subject such as nutrient allowances, and animal production parameters will occur.

2. Major tasks for INFIC

It is easy to think of INFIC as a consortium of database management experts, in view of the prominence of discussion of this subject. We need to periodically remind ourselves of the goal of INFIC, which is stated as follows: "To contribute to more efficient animal production throughout the world by improving access to reliable information on the composition, nutritive value, and practical use of feeds for animals".

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In assessing the ramifications of this goal statement, one needs to go back to the original topics covered in the meetings leading up to the INFIC constitution. These were outlined by Balch at the Second Symposium:

a. Nomenclature & Feedstuffs identificationb. An INFIC Secretariatc. Human foodd. Databank interrelationships & networkinge. Analytical systems & Methodology- Nutritive Value expressionf. Types of Informationg. Reliability of Data

Most of these topics are still with us today and will remain wit us for the foreseeable future, but there have been a number alterations or progress which altered the directions of INFIC to some extent.

a. Nomenclature and Feedstuffs IdentificationWhile there has been widespread acceptance of the IFN concept, there have been some criticism of the current system over the past few years, in relation to the precision of the descriptive factors, the question of responsibility for assigning IFN, and the necessity of maintaining the distinct IFN designations for very similar feeds. There is valid criticism of the system in these areas, but there has been little support to rectify this situation. At present, responsibility for assignment of IFN rests with the National Agricultural Library bat Belltsville, USA, who have responsibility for maintenance of the Feed Composition Databank, the successor to the International Feedstuffs Institution Database. The USDA has given only token to this effort in the past several years, and the INFIC executive committee as discussed potential approaches to the question of feedstuffs databases in the North American context.

b. An INFIC SecretariatThe question of establishing a permanent secretariat for INFIC has been debated for most of the 20 years. Originally, there was optimism that FAO might establish a secretariat and fully functioning Feed Information Centre, however this has not materialized. Other avenues have also been explored, and during the past several years, the Netherlands government has agreed to establish a secretariat at Lelystad, under the direction of the INFIC executive secretary, Mr. Nane Benedictus. This secretariat should not be viewed as a permanent gift of the Netherlands government, however, and there must be means sought to fund this secretariat on a continuing basis. FAO, while sympathetic to the concept of INFIC, has been unable to provide financial support to date.

c. Human FoodThe relative success of the INFOODS program in attracting funding and support has gone far beyond that of INFIC. There is solid rationale for continuing dialogue with INFOODS to ensure to the extent possible a uniform nomenclature and classification system.

d. Database Interrelationships & NetworkingWhile initial attempts to development of feedstuffs databases involved the central, very large database, there has been a growing trend toward smaller, more regionally orientated databases, and this trend has accelerated with the microcomputer developments of the past few years. This does not suggest that the central database is obsolete, but rather that the role of the central database should change. The adaption of microcomputer technology has made desktop feedstuffs information more accessible, but perhaps the desktop system should be viewed more in the vein of a reference book, the successor to the published tables of feed composition and nutritive e value. There remains a strong role for the central system as a library of feedstuffs information and as a disseminator of this information to the regional system. I would submit that this has always been the major role of the central database and that in the past the field worker used reference tables and a calculator, rather than having access to the central database. Admittedly, the increase in power of the microcomputer has sparked the imagination of many, and the "central" database may run on a microcomputer, but there is an absolute requirement for a central or several central centres which would adopt a role in coordinating the international functions of INFIC.

e. Analytical Systems & Methodology - Nutritive Value Expression.Many discussions have been held on the subjects of standardising analytical methods and expression of nutritive value, and a number of guidelines have been prepared (Pigden et al. 1980). The INFIC organization can function very effectively as a form for debate and consensus on all these areas of technical expertise in conjunction with other organizations such as ISO, AOAC, and others.

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f. Types of informationWhile the predominant theme of discussion of INFIC information systems has been numerical data, there is no sound reason to exclude other types of information, such as that concerning factual accounts of uses of feeds, for example maximum amounts in diets. These data are invaluable to the feeding industry and producers. There is an urgent need to coordinate and extend this type of information, which may best be accomplished through a library role such as those of Hohenheim in Germany and NAL in the USA.

g. Reliability of DataAgreement was reached early in the development of feedstuffs database that these systems would be only as reliable as the data fed into them, and a solid screening system for detection of erroneous data was instituted. In spite of these precautions, there is considerable concern about data reliability and to some degree this uncertainly has resulted in the development of other database or complications of information. At present, the reliability of the NAL Feedstuffs Database has been questioned and considerable effort has been expected to establish courses of action in the USA.

3. Developments of the Recent Past

During the past several years INFIC has been actively involved in several activities:

- Development of project(s) for Feed Information Centres in developing Countries. Discussions have been held with FAO in this regard as well as with several governments, with limited success to date.

- Establishment of the INFIC secretariat at Lelystad, Netherlands has brought a sense of stability and continuity to the organization, as well as the services of an energetic secretary with a specific mandate carry out the duties on a full-time basis.

- A workshop "Feed Data Bases. Possibilities and problems in feed data management and feed data exchange" was held at Lelystad in 1989. The potential of various feedstuffs databases, from mainframe to micro, from international to local was discussed, as well as the prospects for networking regional databases into a truly worldwide network.

4. The future of INFIC

Two years ago, at the workshop in Lelystad, the comment was passed that INFIC stands at the crossroads, and that it would either prosper or it would disappear. One is tempted to assume that the organization as chosen the route of prosperity, in view of the increase in membership and interest in many quarters.

Certainly, there is renewed interest in INFIC in Europe, as witnessed by the increase in membership from that region, and further increases are to be expected in view of the changing structure in eastern Europe.

There is also increased interest by a number of developing countries, which will hopefully spread. There is, however, a noticeable lack of interest or commitment to INFIC in North America at present. This is of considerable concern to a number of individuals and some organizations in both Canada and the USA, but there is also significant anti-INFIC support in both countries. This situation is expected to be largely resolved in january, 1992, when a workshop will be convened by the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Consul to discuss future directions of feedstuffs database management. This does not in itself suggest withdrawal of North America from INFIC, but continued support for INFIC activities from Northern America will be more difficult to obtain if current INFIC affiliated groups are not supported activities of the organization.

INFIC continues to have a lack visibility and credibility in the eyes of several influential organisations and governments. To achieve the support of the agencies will require and concerted effort on the part of the entire organization in publicizing of the aims and objectives of INFIC, and in addition INFIC must undertake projects which will be on significant value tom our potential clients worldwide.

There are many areas for potential increases in activities of INFIC, but they can be broadly under five topics, which will be dealt with individually.

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a. Database Useb. Extension of Informationc. Standardization of Analysisd. Expression of standards of Nutritive Valuee. Linkages with other Organizations

a. Database UseThe enormous developments in microcomputertechnology which have occurred in the past several years ave forced a new prospective in regard to databases of all types and this trend is likely to continue. There are immense poten-tial benefits to be derived from this expansion in capability, but coincident with the opportunity are some dangers. In particular the question of maintaining reliable data and a common consistent approach to data acquisition, storage and retrieval is perplexing. INFIC is in a unique position to coordinate these activities, providing that universal agreement can be reached to allow this to happen. INFIC has taken initial steps to develop or adopt a feedstuffs database package which could provide common ground for the microcomputer based system. With the proliferation and adoption of various database-ration formulation packages over the past few years, it is unlikely that there will be a universal package which will be acceptable to all sectors, but INFIC could influence the degree to which there will be as much as possible a standard for activity. There is also the question of Networking of database systems. Technically there are no obstacles to a worldwide network of Feed Information Centres which would permit rapid comprehensive data exchange. However, to accomplish this, there will be a requirement for a coordinated approach-INFIC is the appropriate agency to carry this out. This network could potentially involve not only the microcomputer based Feed Information Centre, but a prominent role is envisaged for the large central facility also.

In the excitement of computer technology, we often forget the conventional, hard copy publications on Feed Composition and Nutritive Value which have been the standard reference of the practising nutritionist and livestock feeder for a century or more. These publications will remain in widespread use and there must be capability to coordinate the collection and summarization of data to produce them. There are a number of potential avenues for this publications, one of which would continue the efforts of earlier authors such as Fonnesbeck and Lloyd (1984), and would ensure the availability of data from the central feed information centres. INFIC should serve as a central agency for the coordination of activities.

b. Extension of InformationAs has been repeatedly stated over the past quarter century, there is a much stronger database for temperate feeds than for those of the tropical and subtropical area of the globe. There are also considerably different production systems in vogue worldwide. In the current climate of environmental sustainability, which is gaining strength, there is likely to be a significant shift from maximum production to optimum production which is more environmentally friendly. If this type of shift occurs, there are immense consequences for the current systems of animal production practised in developing countries. There would need to be a re-examination of the relationships of feedstuffs composition and nutritive value in light of potentially altered production levels.

There is, in addition, an urgent need to increase the level of support which the more technologically advanced countries provide to the developing world in the area of animal production. In Canada we see relatively intensive efforts to export breeding stock of various species into production system for which there is no adaptability, while the question of providing production system based on indigenous feed resources goes unanswered. In many cases the ability of local feedstuffs in developing nations to support livestock production remain unknown. This represents a failure on the part of nutritionists worldwide to conceive others of the importance of this area of animal production. We must conceive our governments that there is merit in increasing feedstuffs knowledge in developing countries.

INFIC should be in the forefront of efforts to provide these data on a worldwide basis.

c. Standardization of AnalysisThe increased use of instrumental analyses for feed composition and nutritive value prediction, most prominently NIR spectroscopy at present, is expected to continue and accelerate in future. There has been to date only minimal effort in standardization of procedures among laboratories, and there could be serious problems in establishing the validity of these largely mathematical/statistical procedures among different agencies. The continuing question of which analysis are relevant, and their interpretation remains also. INFIC should adopt a more proactive role in providing a forum for discussion of analytical methodology, and should be involved in the development of interpretative methods to enable comparison of different analytical methods.

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d. Expression of Standards of Nutritive Value As earlier mentioned there are a great number of expressions of nutritive value, often developed among national lines, and often not readily transferable to other systems of expression. In spite of the different expressions, there needs to be a means by which the relationship of the expression of nutritive value to animal production parameter can be stated. This aspect has become important in marketing of feedstuffs and as global trade in feeds increases there will be increasing pressure for quality standards which can be used as price setting mechanisms. At the same time, there is a move to use measures of feedstuffs quality as bases for establishing regulations (and potentially to establish trade barriers) on the part of governments. Unless be considerable confusion and controversy over the application of these data to commerce. INFIC would appear to be the logical umbrella under which this topic could be debated and some form of agreement reached.

e. Linkages with Other OrganizationsThere are a number of potential linkages of INFIC to other organizations, from the standpoints of technical, industrial, and policy activities. Some of these linkages have been or are in the process of being established, for example that with FAO, with the European Community, and with others. Strengthening of linkages cannot be accomplished without a commitment on the part of the INFIC membership to the potential umbrella roles which have been previously mentioned as future activities. There must be a commitment from other agencies, scientific and professional groups, and the livestock industry to support the attainment of potential future activities.

The potential future role of INFIC, in fact the very survival of INFIC has a valuable and respected component in worldwide livestock production, has been under debate almost since the creation of the organization. It is incumbent upon the membership to convince the world that INFIC is alive, is dynamic, and has a significantly valuable role to play in the advancement of global livestock production.

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References

Henry, W.A. 1989. Feeds and Feeding. 1st ed. Madison, Wisc.Kellner, O. 1905. Die Ernahrung de Landwirtschaftlichen Nutztiere Verlags Buchandlung. Berlin.Robarts, B.E. 1983. Feed Information and Animal Production. Proc. 2nd Symposium, INFIC. CAB, UK. Alderman, G. 1971. Proposals for Establishment of a Feeds Information System for the Food and

Agriculture Organization. FAO AGA/MISC/71/28.Pigden, W.J., C.C. Standardization of analytical Methodolgy for Feeds. Proc. IDRC workshop, Ottawa. Balch, and M. Graham 1980.Benedictus, N. and Feed Data Bases. Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data T. Menger. 1990 Exchange INFIC Secretariat, Lelystad, Netherlands.

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REPORT OF EAAP WORKING GROUP "FEED DATA BASES, FEED DATA MANAGEMENT AND

FEED DATA EXCHANGE IN EUROPE"

J.M.C. Ramelho Ribeiro,

EZN - Fonte Boa, Portugal.

Introduction. Why the group was set up

This Working Group was set up based on the growing importance of Animal Nutrition within Animal Production, the growing demand for (applicable) Scientific Information and the feeling that Europe in its own interest should play an active role in INFIC's near future.

It is accepted that new data and new information on the digestion absorbtion and metabolic utilization of nutrients have appeared recently in the literature.

This knowledge have supported new approaches on the Energy metabolism and therefore on Energy Systems, as well as on Protein Metabolism with inevitable impact on new Protein Systems. Besides, the Amino Acid content and digestibility for non-ruminants has been studied in most of research Centres in Europe and N. America. Last Symposium on Protein Metabolism, held in Denmark was a good example of the importance that this subject is assuming over the last years.

The growing attention on mineral availability and requirements in particular from ruminants and pigs has created a renewal interest on these subjects. Finally dynamic studies either of digestion or metabolic utilization as well as mathematical models have emphasized the need for a mor specific and precise information on the different aspects of nutrition. All these lead to an increased demand for information and data either for animal nutritional requirements or feed composition.

Feed composition is becoming a more and more complex subject because the world market of feedingstuffs which allows an open possibility of using feedstuffs from remote origins with often little information, and because of a growing demand for a more detailed and complete information to fulfil the requirements of the technicians involved in diet formulation. This last aspect could be explained either because there is a tendency to use more and more non traditional feedstuffs and also because of a better and wider information is necessary to achieve a more balanced diet at lower cost.

As a consequence of this refinement on the quality of the information demanded and the huge amount of data available some times published but not processed or stored, there is now the general feeling and wish for a coordination and treatment of these type of data. This atmosphere leads to a growing interest on INFIC activities and in particular among European Countries.

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In 1980 after a preparatory period of about eight years, under the auspices of FAO, INFIC was formed with 18 organizations; today there are 34 organizations from 30 different countries participating either as type 1 (7), type 2 (15) or observing (12) members. It is interesting to notice that 16 of the 34 members are European organization.

We must remember that Prof. Harris of International Feedstuffs Institute at Utah (USA) was the enthusiast creator and first chairman of INFIC. The USA at that time (seventies) in particular were supporting the INFIC idea carrying also most of the costs. Later on the Australian government financed for about seven years or so the INFIC Secretariat and in practice INFIC could be built out further due to efforts and interest of our Australian Colleagues, in particular Dr Leche.

As particular in Europe these days there is a tendency to international cooperation and development, it seems that time has been arrived, that Europe on her turn should take a most active role in the further development of INFIC and fortunately the Dutch government temporarily has accepted to support financially the INFIC Secretariat.

I think that the further development of INFIC must also be an objective in which individual scientists, technicians, policy-makers, farmers, feed manufactures etc. actively should be involved. However more important than the individuals are their representing organizations and this is why this group was born under the EAAP- flag.

We do think that EAAP and in particular its Nutrition Commission is the ideal "Forum" to act as an umbrella to accommodate all desirable contributions even to encourage the contribution of professional international organizations such as EEC, FAO or ICAMAS. In fact most European members of INFIC attend the EAAP annual meetings and participate quite often in the Nutrition Commission activities.

Today (applicable) Science and Technology is a matter of International Cooperation and in this context we have the historical responsibility to promote such a Cooperation. Europe (in their own interest) should play an active role in the revitalization INFIC and the EAAP Nutrition Commission seems to be one of the most suitable places to do so.

1. Objective, schedule and composition of the working group.

a. ObjectiveIn the framework of the revitalization of INFIC, the European Association of Animal Production (EAAP), at her 41st Annual Meeting last summer in Toulouse, started together with INFIC a Working Group on "Feed Data Bases, Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange in Europe". This Working Group will work towards the establishment of as much as possible Feed Information Centres in Europe working together in an European Network of Feed Information Centres (ENFIC), the European branch of INFIC.

ENFIC will provide better access to reliable feed information as an important means for further development of agriculture (including better control of environmental health) in Europe. As there are huge language as well as system differences and barriers between the European countries in

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this field, the development of a broadly supported and accepted, multilingual European Feed Table containing comparable (and in the future standardized) information on feeds and feeding used and usable in Europe can be one of the first steps towards more exchange and co-operation in this field.

Members of above mentioned Working Group are representatives of Feed Information Centres in United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Sowjet Union, Denmark and Sweden whilst representatives of the EEC, FAO and OECD are observing members. INFIC acts as coordinator and preliminary chairman.

The Working Group will focus on three main subjects:

- National feed data base.A local or national Feed Data Base is supposed to act as the authorised Central Bureau of Feed Information in a country or a region. This Bureau functions on the crossroad of scientific institutes and practice, collecting continuously data from both sides, translating these into updated feed values of feeds, animal feeding standards and feeding methods in the different types of animal production systems.

These data are used in practice to maintain the most efficient method of animal nutrition under growing product quality- and environmental considerations and conditions.

To open more possibilities for (international) data exchange it is necessary the Network has (protocols to her disposal) to (re) establish uniformity about:

- Feed Names and precise Feed Description caught in an unique International Feed Number- Chemical analysis to be sure of the right nutrient profile- Biological methods to get the right digestible and/or metabolisable data for the prediction of the

feed values of feeds respectively feeding standards for animals.An important activity of the Working Group will be the (re) establishment of protocols leading to uniformity in the above mentioned subjects.

- Feed data management.Feed data management includes at least 5 important items:i. Control of reliability of collected data, concerning feed names, feed description, chemical

analysis and biological /metabolisable feed evaluation methods.ii. Selection of collected dataiii. Storing and retrieval methods and programsiv. Translation of data into feed values and feeding standards, including the judgement and control

of used feed evaluation systems.v. Presentation of disseminable data to endusers (including the electronic methods)

The Working Group has to establish protocols on each of the above mentioned attention points. Regarding the judgement, control of the used feed evaluation systems intensive co- operation with already existing international (EAAP) Working Groups on Protein and Energy Evaluation is emphasized.

- Feed data exchange.Supposing uniformity in Feed Name, Feed Description (including. Int. Feed Number) and analysis of chemical methods and uniformity (protocols) in data collecting, -storing, -retrieval, -proceeding and -dissemination, feed data exchange grows to a means of obtaining faster development of animal nutrition in Europe. Direct on line confrontation with differences in chemical patterns and feed values/feeding standards between National Feed Information Centres automatically will invite and push scientists, teachers and advisors as well as policy makers internationally around the table and stimulate efforts to grow to more uniformity and co-operation.

In order to start on short term with electronic feed data exchange in Europe, a trial between four or five European Feed Information Centres is proposed (NL, G, UK, F, I and INFIC HQ). After a successful trial period expand to all members of the Working Group is estimated to be possible and afterwards to every interested European FIC, resulting in the establishment of the European Network of Feed Information Centres (ENFIC).For this purpose a small subgroup of experts (CVB, FEU, DOKST, AFZ, IBM) will be established and charged to set up the electronic framework of a concept (abbreviated) European Feeds and Feeding

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Table/Feed Data File(s) (Feed Names, Feed Description, Chemical Pattern, Biological/Metabolisable Patterns including feeding values) using Electronic Data Interchange. Elements of such a European Table for all animal species can be the existing European Table for Poultry Nutrition, EEC-tables, IFS, and IFSPC 2 as well as data from National Feed Information Centres and other available sources.

There has been contacts with computer firms in order to get advice on the best choices of equipment and software to be used by ENFIC Members. This would be probably based on a internationally accepted software like a DBase type.

b. Planned activities, schedule December 1990: First meeting of Working Group, Brussels.

- inventory of existing databases in Europe and their operation procedures - discussion and agreement about project plan- appointments and working procedures

December 1990: First meeting subgroup Experts Electronic Netherlands Network.- discussions and appointments about technical contents European Feed Table- discussions and appointments about electronic framework- discussions and agreement about implementation of trial electronic

network- description of sub-project for authorization in EAAP Working Group

December 1990/January 1991: Start of network trial in NL, F, UK, and G

March 1991: Second meeting subgroup Experts EN- evaluation of data exchange possibilities in Network- additional instructions and discussions and agreement of further

expand

May 1991: Second meeting of EAAP Working Group, Herning- report of subgroup EEN- decision of further expand- establishment protocols on Feed Names, Feed Description, IFN,

Chem. analysis- discussion relation to EAAP Energy and Protein Working Groups,

EEC etc.

September 1991: Third meeting of EAAP Working Group, Berlin- discussion final report plus proposal for future actions (establishment - ENFIC headquarters and ENFIC Steering Committee)- EAAP Nutrition Commission Session meeting (see annex)

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c. Composition of the GroupFirst of all it was decided to invite a small group in order to maintain a high efficiency in terms of work progress. To do so people were invited from those organizations that have been working on the INFIC project for a long time.

Italy -Susmel/PivaFrance -Delortlaval/TisserandU.K. -Givens/CrawshawPortugal -RibeiroGermany -JagerPoland -AntoniewiczHungary -VarheghyNetherlands -Benedictus/SchaperScandinavia -Wiktorsson

However it is the Group's intention that its composition should be increased in order to involve as much centres as possible to spread the Network and give a better efficiency to the system.

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2. Reports of the meetings which already took place

a. Minutes of the first meeting of the EAAP/INFIC working group on Feed Databases, Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange in Europe.Date: 6 December 1990

Place: Eureka Building, Brussels

Delegates:

Antoniewicz (IZ, Poland), Benedictus (INFIC, The Netherlands), Crawshaw (ADAS, United Kingdom), Geisler (IBM, The Netherlands), Schaper (CVB, The Netherlands), Steg (IVVO, The Netherlands), Varheghyi (RCAP, Hungary), Machin (FAO), Valls Pursals (EEC).

Apologizes and absentees:

Apologizes Laval (INRA, F), Givens (FEU, UK), Jager (DOKSH, FRG), Kalashnikov (AAS, USSR), Parris (OECD), Petersen (BMLF, FRG), Piva (ISN-UCSC, I), Ribeiro (EZN, P), Susmel (IPA-UDSDU, I), Tisserand (ENSSAA, F), Thomke (IHUBV-SLU, S), Wiktorsson (IHUBV-SLU, S).

1. and 2.: Opening and goal of EAAP/INFIC Working Group

After words of welcome, Benedictus (acting as coordinator and chairman of this meeting) starts with an overview of the position of INFIC at the moment, regarding the possibilities of future international funding of INFIC via a FAO Trust Fund Project and describes the efforts of the Dutch government to get this realised. The chairman also points out the activities of the EAAP in this field against the background of the revitalization of INFIC.In this context in the next meeting of the Nutrition Commission of EAAP in Berlin in 1991, one of the sessions will have "Feed databases, Feed data management and Feed data exchange in Europe" as its subject. A possible result of this session could be the decision to establish an active operating European Network of Feed Information Centres (ENFIC). The preparation of the Berlin Session and the execution of her result could be a main part of the activities of this working group.In this framework the draft working plan as set out in Annex(es) I (and II) of the agenda (again enclosed) must be placed.

Valls indicates that the EEC very much is interested in the activities of this working group. At the moment the Services of the European Commission try to complete a Council Directive of unifying the trading and labelling of compound feeds in the EEC. It is possible that in the future also in the Common Market's Feed Legislation, the (modified) I(nternational F(eed) N(umbers)(IFN) (developed and maintained by INFIC), will be used to identify and classify the different feedstuffs.

The chairman points out that in the past (seventies and early eighties) an International Feed Data Bank System has been developed in Utah (USA) and that this INFIC Databank System at the moment is stored at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) of USDA in Beltsville, USA. Updating of this system however occurs on a low profile basis. One of the first aims of INFIC in the proposed FAO Trust Fund Project "Assistance to INFIC" 'll be the move of (a copy of) this database to the (strengthened) INFIC Secretariat, and transform it into an up to date, dynamic and well accessible version; easy to distribute, using (extracted) files from this database on diskettes, applicable in a general accepted international (INFIC) PC Feed Management Package(s).The establishment on short term of an active European Network of Feed Information Centres (ENFIC) can be of great help to reach the INFIC aim on a world wide basis.

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3.: National Feed Information Centres/Feed Data Bases in Europe.

To get an impression of the current situation about "Feed Information Centres" in Western Europe, attention was drawn to the proceedings of the 1989 INFIC Workshop, describing the situation in the UK, The Netherlands, Federal Republic of Germany and France. It might be expected that information about the situation in the Northern and Southern European countries will be provided when the work of this working group proceeds.The delegates of Eastern European countries (Poland and Hungary) both give an overview of the situation in their countries and give also some indications of the needs on short term. Efforts are on their way to come to the right organizational infrastructure of farmers organizations and agricultural extension services in their countries. For purposes of establishing a feed database, they urgently need information about how to set up a suitable database program besides information about coding and classifying feedstuffs.

4. and 5.: Strategy for improvement of Feed Data Exchange in Europe and Data management/Data modelling in Feed Information Centres etc.

Geisler of IBM gives a clear overview of the possibilities of electronic networks. IBM offers centres the opportunity to communicate and exchange data efficiently. She suggests to start on a simple basis, for instance with an electronic mail system between some (European) centres.

After introductory words of Steg (IVVO) and Schaper (CVB), the several aspects of the "Feed Data Management Cluster" (as outlined in enclosed scheme) were discussed. One of the conclusions was that on international (INFIC) level there is a need for a general accepted "DATABASE MASTERPLAN", to be used by individual countries as a reference in which all the relevant data entities, protocols etc. precisely are described.

6.,7. and 8.: Possibilities for funding, appointments and future meetings, other matters

Under this agenda headings at the end of the meeting the following appointments were made:

- A chairman for this group will be appointed in a later stage.- The secretariat of INFIC together with designated experts will try to design a concept-masterplan

in which the structure of a feed database etc. will be described. This will be sent to the members of this group for comments.

- In combination with this masterplan, several code systems will be developed, e.g. for coding feedstuffs, analyses etc.

- It will be tried to make an inventory of the FIC's which are already connected to an international computer network (e.g. X-25). A list with electronic mail addresses will be provided if possible.

- The secretariat of INFIC along suitable channels (EEC, FAO, EAAP, etc.) will try to find some financial funding for the future work etc. of this working group.

- The INFIC Secretariat also 'll try to find ways to create possibilities for (more) assistance to FIC's in Poland and Hungary by setting up FDB's.

- The second meeting of this group will be combined with the 6th EAAP Protein Symposium to be held from the 9th to the 14th of June 1991 in Herning (Denmark).

- A report about the progress of the activities of this group will be presented in the second session of the Animal Nutrition Commission during the 42nd Annual EAAP meeting in Berlin. Mr. Crawshaw will present a paper about the current situation in Western Europe regarding feed databases. Antoniewicz (together with Varheghyi) will cover the same subject for Eastern Europe, while somebody from Northern as well from Southern Europe will be asked to do the same for these area's. A senior officer of FAO will be invited to present the general introductory paper of this session, highlighting the importance of animal nutrition in animal production systems as seen from an economical and technical point of view (draft programm of this session enclosed).

9. Closing remarks

Thanking participants for their very much appreciated presence and constructive contributions, the chairman closed the meeting at about 5.00 p.m..

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b. Minutes of the ENFIC-meeting.

Date: June 1991

Place: Herning

Present:

Strudsholm (DK), Sauvant (F), Tisserand (EAAP), Rohr (G), Varhegyi (H), Stefanon and Bani (I), Antoniewicz (P), R. Ribeiro (P), Lindberg (S), Cottrill (UK), Machin FAO), Benedictus (INFIC).

Apologizes and absentees:

Steg and Blok (NL), Parris (OECD), Valls Pursalls (EEC), Thomke and Wiktorsson (S), Crawshaw and Givens (UK), Apologizes Laval (F), Piva and Susmel (I), Jager and Petersen (G), Kalahnikov (AAS, USSR).

1 and 2. Opening and Minutes of first meeting in Brussels

Mr. Benedictus welcomes the participants, being glad that so many European Feed Information Centres are represented.A special word of welcome was directed to Mr. Machin from FAO and to Prof. Tisserand as the chairman of the EAAP Nutrition Commission. Participants then identified himself and explained their type of work as well as the FIC they represented. After analyses of the minutes of the last meeting (Brussels, dec. 1990) these were approved without modifications.

3. Information about developments of/in INFIC General

Mr. Benedictus informs the participants that the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture in principle is ready to support for the coming three years or so the INFIC secretariat under condition that the Directory General of International Cooperation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) also financially supports the future INFIC activities. Also a future financial support of other countries is expected by a future sound contribution system, guaranteeing the continuity of INFIC after 1994.

In the framework of the (in 1990 to the Dutch Government submitted) FAO project proposal "Assistance to INFIC", FAO early 1991 has been approached again to define the terms of reference for a joint FAO/DGIS mission to Central America to identify etc. a MAIN FIC for the Central/South American region. The outcome of this mission will be used for the final decision/version about/of the earlier mentioned FAO Project Proposal "ASSISTANCE TO INFIC."

Another information was done in relation to the last INFIC Executive Meeting held in Ottawa in May 1991. Two main points were stressed:- It was decided to organise an extraordinary general INFIC meeting in Berlin on Sunday the 8th

of September 1991 at 14.00 h., just prior to the 1991 Berlin EAAP Meeting.- The Executive Committee agreed with an action regarding the modification of the INFIC

International Feed Numbering System.As well representatives from the USA and countries of the EEC expressed similar concern with the current IFN system, so it was decided to establish a small USA/European/Australian group to prepare a proposal for a more logical coded IFN system, for multi purpose use, covering as much as possible the interest of the trade-, scientific- as well as the extension world.

EEC, Europe.In the framework of Council Directive 90/44/EEC, at the moment in the EEC a so called "condensed list of ingredients, used in compound feeds" is established. The list consists of the main ingredients used in compound feed, recording only their names and description. About the numbering, discussions are still under way, but probably the EEC will start with a (temporary own) EEC numbering system, however with the intention to join later on a more logic coded new International Feed Numbering System. The mentioned work is done by EEC employees together with experts of the 12 member states. A small group of 6 persons (EEC mini group) is charged with the preparation of proposals to the big group of

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experts. It is a difficult and laborious work to obtain the agreement of each EEC country but according to earlier mentioned EEC Council Directive, the work should be finished before the 22nd of January 1992.

On the last EAAP annual meeting in Toulouse the EAAP Nutrition Commission has decided to establish a working group on Feed Data Bases, coordinated by N. Benedictus. Recently Bulgaria and Spain have asked to join this working group. The meeting agrees to distribute the activities and the results of this working group to as many as possible other European Centres, however to maintain an efficient working method, it is advised not to expand to much, and even if necessary to operate (and prepare proposals) in smaller subgroups.

N. AmericaThe American colleagues were impressed by the progress in the European efforts to establish an European Network of Feed Information Centres.They also are considering similar N American co-operation in the near future in raising an American regional working group to establish a American Network to start with countries like the USA, Canada and Mexico for example. To prepare an updating of the USA National Feed Data Base (is about equal to the INFIC Feed Data Base), our USA colleagues from the CAN of the NRC/NAS are preparing a Symposium about "National Feed Composition Data Base, Options for Design and Use", to be held next winter (January 21-23, 1992) in Washington DC. It will be a good occasion to stress also the future USA involvement in INFIC. It is expected to be an important meeting gathering the crop growers, trade people, feedcompounders, the animal sector and the involved scientific and extension society, together with National and International authorities. Canada is considering to introduce on short term a Feed Legislation similar to the Feed Legislation in the EEC. In this respect the importance of data about feeds and feeding in Canada is growing, a.o. probably resulting in the establishment of a new Feed Technology Institute at the University of Saskatoon.

Australia In Australia the FIC in 1992 will be moved into a private organization although guided by CSIRO. This could be a good option, providing the neutrality is guaranteed.

4. State of the art appointments made in Brussels (basic feed data management/database masterplan

The INFIC Secretary in december 1990 in Brussels has been asked to prepare a draft about a common base for an international Feed Data Management Masterplan. He apologies not to have done this as originally planned. Due to his busy time it was only possible together with the Dutch FIC's (CVB and IVVO) to draw up some lines for a future approach (see distributed report).

5. Appointments working procedures.

- Basic Feed Data Management MasterplanAs mentioned earlier, this subject has already been discussed with the Dutch Feed Information Centres. The conclusion was to join the experience of four main European Data Bases namely France (INAP/INRA), The Netherlands (CVB), Germany (DOKSUH) United Kingdom (FEU) and perhaps the FIC of Denmark (LEC) and to distil from that a common international Feed Data Management Masterplan.The above mentioned centres could be asked to describe "masterplanlike" their current Feed Data Bases, including their organizational and technical environment. As suggested it must be possible to distil from this joint experience a common international Feed Data Management Masterplan for distribution to all interested European Feed Information Centres, acting as a basic reference and providing along this way the fundament of an active operating European Network of Feed Information Centres.The INFIC Secretariat could be asked to coordinate above mentioned activities. When asked, all the participants agreed with this approach and authorised the INFIC Secretary to coordinate the execution of this proposal.The meeting emphasized that the common Feed Data Management Masterplan would maintain the freedom for each country to have their own system but under a common base on which everybody would agree. Prof. Tisserand suggests that after the EAAP Berlin meeting, where an European evaluation on Feed Data Base activities will be

24

made, it would be worthwhile to think on the possibility of a request to the EEC for financial support in order to establish Feed Data Banks in EEC (and affiliated European) countries.

Regarding financial support of a possible European Feed Data Management (Masterplan) Project, Sauvant mentioned the possibility of preparing this Project among EEC countries to apply for the next "appel d'ordre" of the CAMAR Programme (DG VI - EEC). Sauvant, in principle accepted to act also as coordinator of such a group, however this was postponed to a future meeting between INFIC Secretary and INAP/INRA, to take place in Paris later this spring/summer.

- PC Feed Management SoftwareRegarding the PC Feed Management software it seems that there is a good package a.o. successfully used by ADAS (U.K.). As mr. Cottrill knows very well the author (A. Munford,U-niversity of Exeter) of this package, he offered to report the interest of this working group to Mr Munford. The INFIC Secretary later on this year will visit Mr. Munford to investigate possibilities of closer cooperation (adaptation of INFIC needs in this package, special rates and tariffs for INFIC Centres etc.).The Danish colleague also refers to the existence in his country of a convenient package and an identical suggestion was made by the Swedish and the Italian (P. Bani) colleagues. The INFIC Secretary asked them to provide him with additional information about these packages.

6. State of the art preparation of 1991 EAAP Berlin meeting

The draft of the program of session 2 of the EAAP Nutrition Commission to take place on the 9th of September 1991 at the 42nd EAAP Annual Meeting in Berlin was distributed together with the speakers already invited.In order to allow the participation in this session of our colleague from Poland, the INFIC Secretary promised to approach EAAP or CIHEAM (Tisserand) for a financial support.Strudsholm accepted the request to prepare the report regarding the North European Countries including Iceland. At the end it was recognized that the organization of the session seems to be going well and it is expected that everything can be done in due time.

7 and 8 . Closing remarks

A third meeting of this working group could be held during the 42nd meeting of EAAP in September 1991 in Berlin, a.o. depending on progress in the execution of the appointments made in this meeting.After words of thank to participants for their presence and contributions, the INFIC Secretary closed the meeting due to the time schedule.

3. Main Conclusions

- The Working Group in these two meetings have laid down the fundament for ENFIC.- The appointment has been made to develop a basic "FEED DATA MANAGEMENT MASTER-

PLAN" usable on national as well international level being the nucleus of all future activities towards ENFIC. In this respect FEED DATA MANAGEMENT is defined as the whole cluster of activities about and around Feed Data, as, DESCRIBING, NAMING, NUMBERING, COLLECTING, SELECTING, VALIDATION, PROCESSING (including the IMPLEMENTATION of results of animal nutrition research) and DISSEMINATING. Besides the establishment of protocols of above mentioned activities, in this FEED DATA MANAGEMENT MASTERPLAN also the technical as well as the organizational set up of the FEED DATA BASE and the FEED INFORMATION CENTRE will be described, including their technical and organizational environment and infrastructure.

- It was agreed that for the development of the ENFIC FEED DATA MANAGEMENTMASTERPLAN and the establishment of the European Network of Feed Information Centres, including the set up of National Feed Information centres in the different European Countries a Project will be described and submitted to the EEC for CAMAR financing.

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Although it was not possible to achieve all the objectives that have been established in Toulouse for the Working Group, it must be recognized that a lot of work was done, most of it underground, and that today we all have a more clear idea about what could be the way and the work to do in the near future.If ENFIC is going to be reality, if the FAO/Dutch Government project gets started, if the CAMAR - EEC - project is approved, than I think the objectives of the group would be achieved.Besides all we know that most of the European Countries maintain closed links and Cooperative Research/Development Programs with other countries in Africa, South America, Asia and that lately the European Community set up the 2nd Special STD (Science and Technology for the development) Programme; therefore we can imagine, in the near future, that a stronger ENFIC can spread and establish efficient connection with other Regional or National INFIC Centres all over the world and doing so Europe would play a major role in revitalizing the INFIC Network.

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DEVELOPMENT,CURRENT OPERATION AND PROSPECTSOF FEED DATA BASES IN WESTERN EUROPE.

D.I.Givens

ADAS Feed Evaluation Unit, Alcaster Road,Stratford-on-Avon,United Kingdom.

Introduction

This paper is concerned with feed databases which have been constructed in France, Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It is not,however the intention of the paper to chart the history of feed database develop-ment in each country in great detail, but more to select important landmarks and to highlight the underlying philosophy. The databases in question vary considerably in age and current level of use and the future of at least one of the databases seems insecure.

The paper also attempts to draw attention to areas which, in the writer's view, need serious attention if the information currently stored and that to be stored in the future is to be of maximum use to animal production, both within the European Community and elsewhere.

1. Development and current operations in France

As described by Lapierre (1990) the history of the French database dates back to 1979. A Government supported feasibility study was undertaken which produced ideas on how any future database may be developed. It was however not until 1985 when a firm decision was taken to create a French national database.The decision was taken on the basis of information and comments from a wide range of organisations involved in animal nutrition including research institutions and feed manufacturers. The Association Française de Zootechnique and the Institute National Agronomique, Paris-Grignon (INAP-G) were charged with the work.

Work began on the project in 1989 for an initial period of 3 years. The main objectives of the project were to gather centrally, chemical and nutritional characteristics are stored. Further information on the current French database is given in a poster presentation at this conference (Lapierre).

At the present time the French programme is very active and is expanding its activities.

2.Developments and current operations in Germany

A detailed account of the development and operation of the German database has been given by Jager (1990). Although Germany has a long history of producing feedingstuffs tables it was not until the early 1969s that data storage was computerised. This came about following the acquisition of a computer by the Hohenheim University. A numeral classification system was developed for both feedstuffs and the associated data which became known as the Hohenheim Feed Classification System (HFCS). All of the data were transferred onto punch cards by 1965 and the first feed composition table for ruminants produced from the data was published in 1968.Following the forming of INFIC in 1971 it was decided to replace the HFCS with the INFIC feed classification system developed by L.E.Harris, although some modifications were made to the vocabulary for the description of the feeds. Replacement of HFCS with the INFIC system was completed in 1974. The German database has been constructed on an ICL 2966 mainframe computer using software developed in house. A move towards more reliance on PCs is envisaged.

At the present time the database stores up to approximately 88000 data units per year with the total number of data units stored being some 2 million. The main activities of the database still centre on data collection and the publication of tables of feed composition and nutritional value. During the period 1982-1990, 15 different feed tables have been published and in 1991 it is planned to produce new tables for ruminants, pigs and horses.

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3.Developments and current operations in The Netherlands

In the Netherlands the Central Bureau for Livestock Feeding (CVB) has been involved in collecting and disseminating information on feedstuffs for some 50 years. This was achieved mainly by the publication of feed tables. In 1984 it was decided to computerise these activities and a project was initiated to build a feed database. The primary objective of this was to provide a system which would keep the CVB Feed Tables up to date. The development of the database involved a wide range of interests including research institutes, the Dutch compound feed industry and trade organisations.The database was constructed on a Digital Vax 11/750 computer using the ORACLE DEMS. The system also uses Genstat for the statistical analysis and presentation of data.

In 1989 the database contained information on some 25000 samples of 200 different non-forage feeds (Schaper, 1990). The data comprised mainly chemical analyses of feed although expansion of the database is planned to include toxic factors such as aflatoxin. In addition the CVB is also working on the development of another database. This database would be concerned with feed usage and contain information on nutritional values, including rates in diets, anti-nutritional and toxic factors.

4.Development and current operations in The United Kingdom

The idea for a UK national computer database for feedstuffs started in 1979 when the Standing Committee on the Tables of Feed Composition (SCTFC) was formed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The primary purpose of the SCTFC was to guide the development of a computer database. The SCTFC comprised representatives for a wide range of interests including extension workers, research institutes and the feed compounding industry. Further details on the development of the UK national database have been given by Alderman et a (1983), Topps (1986) and Givens (1990).

The task of building the database was given to the ADAS Feed Evaluation Unit and work started on its construction in 1987. The database was formed into four sections covering ruminants, pigs, poultry and analytical determinations. The database was developed on a Prime 2250 mini-computer using a 600 Mb hard disk. Prime's DBMS INFORMATION, along with its integrated language INFO-BASIC were used.Although the first UK set of ruminant feed tables published for many years was produced in 1986 (MAFF, 1986), these were largely manually compiled.The first publication to be computer generated by the national database appeared in 1990. This book (MAFF,1990) contained nutritional information based on in vivo studies for ruminants, pigs and poultry together with a section dealing with chemical composition.

The database contains values on about 2300 samples from 123 different feedstuffs. The database has concentrated on collecting high quality in vivo based data in comparison with the Dutch studies (see earlier) which has concentrated on compositional values. It is regrettable to have to report that following publication of the new feedingstuff tables in 1990, work on the database ceased.

5.Feed databases - Prospects for Europe

Whilst it is clear that there are numerous databases available throughout Europe, it would appear that for these to be exploited by the European Community a number of problems need addressing. These problems fall into two categories, computing and national.

a. Computing related problemsThere is clearly a need to move towards the use of common database software to allow easy interchange of data. In addition, software problems would be common to all users and therefore effectively dealt with. There have already been moves in some countries towards more use of powerful IBM- compatible Pcs running under the MS-DOS operating system. This move should be accelerated throughout the Community. There also remains a need to agree on a common approach to feed descriptions and numbering. Although various modifications of the INFIC system are used in various centres, there are serious doubts about the logic and widespread applicability of the system (Anon, 1989). INFIC has agreed to study the possible modification and updating of its system. A logical feed numbering system has already been proposed by Ostrowski-Meissner and Gee (1990).

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b. National problemsThere are also many nutritional problems which need solving before the dispersed databases can be of optimum value. These include the need to harmonise analytical methods since different analytical methods for the same analyzes can give different results (Everington, et a 1990). Databases need to be judged on the usefulness of the data they contain to animal production and so agreement is needed on which analytical procedures provide the most useful information on the feeds. In a similar vein, much more animal based nutritional information is needed and emphasis should be placed on introducing new dynamic measurements of nutritional value such as rates of digestion, protein degradability etc.

More than ever before animal production must be seen to take account of its interrelationship with the environment. Consideration should be given to the inclusion in databases of information relevant to the environment where this is available. This might include, for example, the methane generating power of feeds, their contribution to urinary nitrogen loss on their likely contribution to the environmental mineral load from faeces and urine.

In addition it is essential that Western Europe does not develop in isolation from the rest of the world. In particular, thought should be given as to how and in what way Western European information and associated expertise can be of real value to Eastern Europe and developing countries.

It is concluded that whilst there are a number of very valuable feed databases in Western Europe, in some cases they have evolved from different philosophies and requirements. Much work is required to ensure that they are of optimal value to the European Community. In this regard consideration should be given to the establishment of a central European Community feed database.

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful to Messrs F. Jager and O. Lapierre for the provision of recent information during the preparation of this paper.

References Alderman G, Barber W P and Stranks M H (1983). Databases for the composition and nutritive value of animal feeds. In: W Haresign (Ed)

Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition 1982. Butterworths, London, pp 91-110.Anon (1990). Report of working groups about updating International Feed Name File (including

International Feed Descriptions and International Feed Numbers) and the International Feed Data File. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds),Feed data bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange. Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989, INFIC, Lelystad, p 128.

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Everington J M,Schaper S and Givens D I (1990). Development and application of a feed database. In: J. Wiseman and D J A Cole (Eds).

Feedstuff Evaluation, Butterworths, London, pp 365-376.Givens D I (1990). The development, current operation and prospects of the Feed Database in the United

Kingdom. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds), Feed Data Bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange. Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989,INFIC, Lelystad, p 70-81.

Jager F (1990). The development, current operation and prospects of the Feed Database in Germany. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds), Feed Data Bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange. Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989, INFIC, Lelystad, p 36-51.

Lapierre O (1990). The development, current operation and prospects of the Feed Database in France. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds), Feed Data Bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange.Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989, INFIC, Lelystad, p 82-91.

Lapierre O (1991). IO, The French feed database. Poster presented to 42nd Annual Meeting of EAAP, Berlin.

MAFF (1986) Feed Composition - UK Tables of Feed Composition and Nutritive Value of Ruminants, Chalcombe Publications, Marlow.

MAFF (1990) UK Tables of Nutritive Value and Chemical Composition of Feedingstuffs (D I Givens and A R Moss, Eds) Rowett Research Services, Aberdeen.

Ostrowski-Meissner H T and Gee A M (1990). Computerised feed numbering system - a new approach to feed index files as a cross

reference for individual feed entry in the AFIC database. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds), Feed Data Bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management an Feed Data Exchange. Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989, INFIC, Lelystad, p 136-139.

Schaper S (1990). The development, current operation and prospects of the Feed Database in The Netherlands. In: N Benedictus and T Menger (Eds), Feed Data Bases, Possibilities and Problems in Feed Data Management and Feed Data Exchange. Proceedings of the INFIC Workshop 21-26 August 1989, INFIC, Lelystad, p 52-57.

Topps J H (1986). Databases of feed composition and nutritive value. In: B A Stark, dD I Givens and J M Wilkinson (Eds). Ruminants Feed Evaluation, Chalcombe Publications, Marlow, pp 21-34.

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INFORMATION ON CURRENT SITUATION,DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF FEED DATA BASES IN EASTERN EUROPE.

Anna Antoniewicz

National Research Institute on Animal ProductionKrakow,Poland.

The situation in the countries concerned is as follows:

1.Bulgaria

Data on feed composition, digestibility and feeding value are collected periodically from all research institutes and universities and are manually compiled and edited as books. The latest action was at 1984.The data are not computerized and there is no activity to create computerized feed value database.

2.Czecho-Slovakia

Computerized feed value database was initiated in 70-ties at Research Institute of Feed Industry at Pecky according to INFIC recommendations. The activity concerned collecting data on chemical composition of feeds analyzed by agricultural, feed industry and State quality control laboratories.This database is out of function now because of computer change.

Small database is operated on PC AT the Research Centre at Uhrineves for storage mainly own data of nutritive value of ruminant feeds used in experiments during last 20 years. Similar databases are probably also run at other research centres.There is interests in absorbing new recommendations and advices from INFIC concerning feed data handling and management.

3. Hungary

Several years ago a data base was formed including the results of digestibility trials conducted throughout in Hungary at the Research Centre for Animal Production,Herceghalom using IBM Series 1 for data storage and handling. New Hungarian feed value tables were printed at 1985 and 1988. From that time on there were no attempts to collect and handle feed data and to form a so called Hungarian data base.

The Research Centre for Animal Production, Herceghalom would like to be a member of INFIC/ENFIC organization as a "Full Member" Type II.To develop a nationwide data base, some financial support would be needed. There is an urgent need for up to date international feed numbers, international feed names and a data handling processing software for IBM PC. Any kind of help from the existing feed centres would be welcomed.

4. Poland

Feed data have been collected manually for the purpose of Feed Value Tables edited as books (the new edition now in the press).Computerized data bases, concerning mostly concentrate components were run at the Central Feed Evaluation Station at Czechnica and Feed Industry Institute at Lublin, however without any links to INFIC classification.

Since 1989 Poland, via the National Research Institute on Animal Production, Krakow, has become an Observing Member of INFIC.

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A computerized data base to be acting according to INFIC system is being created at the National Research Institute of Animal Production at Krakow. Own software is being designed and some kind assistance was obtained from dr. H. Ostrowski-Meissner (Australian Feed Information Centre). A country- wide system of data supply is being developed.

5. Soviet Union

No response was obtained from the Soviet Union.According to the information obtained from prof. Todorov, they collect and edit feed value tables in a manual way, without having a computerized database.

Enquiries were sent to:

Bulgaria: prof. N. Todorov from the Agricultural University at Stara Zagora

Czecho-Slovakia: dr.B.Vencl from research Institute on Animal Production at Praha-Uhrineves,

Hungary: dr. I.Varheghyi from the Research Centre for Animal Production, Institute for Animal Nutrition at Herceghalom

Soviet Union: prof. W.W.Szczeglov from the Whole-Union Research Institute on Animal Production at Dubrovitzy.

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CURRENT SITUATION, DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF FEED DATA BASES IN NORTHERN EUROPE.

Finn Strudsholm,

Department for productionThe Danish Committee on Cattle husbandry

The Danish agricultural advisory centre,

Aarhus

and

Preben E. Andersen,

National institute of animal science,

Foulum,

Denmark.

Introduction

This paper gives overview of the activities concerning central feed data bases in the Nordic countries. Today, there is no cooperation between these countries in this field and a short status is made for each individual country. The overview includes information concerning feed data bases for cattle, pig and poultry nutrition. The basis of the data in the individual databases is not covered in this paper.

1. Norway

There is no "active" central EDP-based feed data base in Norway today. However, a work is carried out at present on how to establish a common feed data base for cattle, pigs and poultry. The preliminary number of variables in this feed data base is 132, including data on energy (GE, DE, ME and NE), protein, single amino-acids, fat, carbohydrates, macro- and micro-minerals and vitamins. It is planned to use the INFIC number-system for feedstuffs in the Norwegian feed data base.

In Norway a feed table is worked out by the Norwegian Agricultural University in cooperation with The Official Feedstuff Control of the Ministry of Agriculture. This table includes 62 feed-items (commercial feedstuffs) and was last revised in 1986. A more comprehensive feed table is published in "Hojes pocket-calender" every year. This includes information on all feedstuffs used in Norway together with recommendations and advices to the animal husbandry.

2. Sweden

There is no central and complete EDP feed data base in Sweden at present. However, the advisory service of the Swedish Cattle Breeders Organisation (SHS) has developed data bases for feedstuffs to be used by the advisory service. The feed data bases are used in connection with the evaluation of feed rations and feeding schemes to cattle (Data-feed lists) and to make an economic evaluation of the diary farms in connection with the milk recording system (RAM).

In Sweden feed-tables for both cattle and pigs are worked out by The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The table for cattle covers both commercial feedstuffs and home grown forage and contains information on 157 feedstuffs with 25 variables per feedstuff. Both the feed data on cattle and pigs are available on diskettes but are not established as proper databases.

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3. Finland

Finland has no central EDP feed data base on national level either. Like in Sweden feed data for pig , cattle and poultry are available on diskettes but not organized as proper databases.

Finland publishes a feed table covering both cattle, pigs and poultry. It was last revised in 1990 and is prepared by the Finnish Agricultural University in cooperation with The Department of Animal Nutrition, Agriculture Research Centre, Jokionen.

The Finnish feed-table covers data on all feedstuffs used in Finland and describes each feedstuff with 35 variables.

4. Denmark

Feed values for feedstuffs for pigs, cattle and poultry are managed in separate databases in Denmark.

For pig-feeding an EDP feed data base has been established by The Danish National Committee on Pig breeding, Health and Production. The base is used in a PC-program for the formulation of optimal feed rations by means of an LP-model. The program is used by pigadvisers and farmers. This feed data base covers all current feedstuffs for pigs in Denmark and is updated every year. Beyond this, the same organisation produces a feed table with standard values for chemical composition of feedstuffs. This table was first published in 1989 and is updated currently. Beyond the chemical composition of feeds the table gives recommendations for the use of the individual feedstuffs.

In the field of cattle feeding The National Committee on Danish Cattle Husbandry has established a central EDP Feed Data Base. The base covers 243 positions for feedstuffs and describes the feedstuffs by means of 51 variables relevant to cattle feeding. The base is updated every year in cooperation with The National Institute of Animal Science (Foulum).Copies of the base are incorporated in PC-programs used all over the country by local cattle advisers when making feed budgets, feeding plans, feed control etc. The centrally established Feed Data Base also provides an updated print out of a Feed Data-Table every year. The Danish Feed Data Base for Cattle Feeding seems to be the most advanced and developed feed data base in the Nordic countries at present.

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The National Committee on Danish Poultry Husbandry is responsible for poultry nutrition and has their own central feed data base. The base is administered on PC's and used by poultry advisers in Denmark mostly for feedplanning. The fundament of this base is the yearly analyses of current feedstuffs for poultry and the "European Table of Energy Values for Poultry Feedstuffs".

5. Future work and perspectives for feed databases

Keeping a feed data base up-to-date is a continuously ongoing process. New feedstuffs come up and other feedstuffs disappear or change over the years. Therefore new standard values are necessary. In this process proper documentation for data, variation, origin etc. is very important like the available information in the feed data base itself. When updating the feed data base, registration of this information is very important.

New knowledge concerning feeding of animals means that it is often necessary to describe the feedstuffs by means of new analyses and variables. This also means further need for new data to describe the feedstuffs.

Beyond information on the chemical composition of feedstuffs it is of future interest to put in information about origin, production and characteristics of feedstuffs. Also guidelines and limitations of the use of a feedstuff for different species/groups of animals and how a certain feedstuff may influence the quality of the products seem very relevant to include in the base in the future. This information is mainly for the advisory service as well as directly for farmers.

International exchange of feeddata is an interesting future possibility, which technically should be quite uncomplicated by means of new technology. Exchange of data is mainly of interest for feedstuffs used broadly in different countries (commercial feedstuffs). Here analyses assumption for such exchange is a reliable description of the analyses methods, data origin etc. Compared with data on commercial feedstuffs international exchange of data concerning the composition of home-grown feedstuffs which varies considerably with climate, ground, fertilizing etc, probably is of less interest.

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CURRENT SITUATION, DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OFFEED DATA BASES IN SOUTHERN EUROPE

Piero Susmel and Colin Mills

Institute of Animal Production,Faculty of Agriculture,University of Udine

Pagnacco,

Italy.

Introduction

In feedingstuffs tables, chemical and nutritive data are reported as well as some brief information to characterize the feed. It is generally assumed that the same feed has an almost constant composition and nutritive value, but this is only true for most of the cereals, concentrates, vegetable oil extraction by-products and some animal meals. For forages and by-products, many factors, besides stage of maturity, are involved in determining both the chemical composition and the biological availability of nutrients, because rainfall, temperature, light and fertiliser applications all contribute to modifying plant structure. Even though tables can report detailed proximate analyses, fibre fractions, ammonia acid and mineral and vitamin contents, the data related to energy density and digestible or metabolizable protein, frequently derived from the former information using statistically derived equations, can often be useless for practical purposes, as forages with similar chemical composition can be utilised with different efficiencies by animals. For instance, it is well known that polyphenols, especially those classified as tannins, have an adverse effect on degradability and digestibility (Reed, 1987; Susmel et a.,1989; Waghorn et a.1987) and their presence is not evident from proximate Van Soest analysis. By-products are even more variable with processing temperature and method and other factors contributing to a change in nutritive value; the formation of the Maillard products are one of the most frequent causes of reduction in digestibility (Van Soest,1983).Strictly speaking, the information obtainable from tables are useful only in the geographical area in which the forages and their by-products were grown. A possible solution to this problem would be to implement tables with chemical data highly related to nutritional values. The use of these chemical components in prediction equations for digestibility would be more useful if these were established for groups of feed of similar origin and characteristics. For the Mediterranean feedstuffs, C.I.H.E.A.M.(1981, 1983, 1990) have proposed tables in which chemical and nutritive data derive directly from in vivo experiments, and this is probably the best way to estimate the nutritive value of feedstuffs.

In order to obtain an up to date picture of the state of feed data information in the countries concerned, a questionnaire was sent to representatives in Portugal, Spain, Greece and Yugoslavia. Communication and technical difficulties prevented Spain and Yugoslavia from replying, so this is a provisional paper and will be revised, if required, when additional information becomes available.

1.The situation in Italy

There are no electronic feed data bases in Italy. The absence of a coordinated state advisory service leaves individual regions autonomous and, to date, no efforts have been directed to data collection and the construction of a database.Prior to 1983, ruminant feed tables contained energy concentration data based on hay and starch equivalents. An early publication (Maletto, 1975) contained data for 9 forages in various harvest states and 6 root crops, with maximum, minimum and average values for proximate analysis, major and trace elements and various energy values. Amino acid concentrations are also presented where applicable. After the publication of Alimentation des Ruminants (INRA, 1978) the net energy system of UFL/UFC (Milk forage unit, meat forage unit) was adopted and formally accepted in 1983. Malossini et a. (1983) recalculated the energy concentrations of 52 feeds (98 including various harvest states) subjected to in vivo analysis at the Istituto Sperimentale per la Zoötecnia in Rome, and presented a table of nutritive values, proximate analysis and major minerals.An "official" set of tables exists for compound feed ingredients -the

36

Ministero del Agricoltura e delle Foreste, Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Composizione Chimica e Valore Nutritivo di Mangimi Semplici (Martilotti et a., 1989). These tables contain the chemical composition, NDF, ADF, ADL, starch, sugar, GE, calculated ME, forage unit, UFL, UFC and protein degradability data for ruminants, DE for pigs, ME for poultry and analytical data for aminoacids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and carotenoids. Basic textual information and legal restrictions are also given. The tables contain 62 feedstuffs although they have not been updated as there is no official group to perform this task. A major review of Italian in vivo trials is on the way and the publication of its findings is expected in 1991.Extensive use is also made of the French tables (INRA, 1978, 1988) as well as the NRC (1982, 1985) and ARC (1980, 1984)texts.

Foreign tables are also widely used for non-ruminant species. Pig production is widespread in Italy, with particular emphasis on the production of heavy pigs for the ham and salami industries. INRA (1984) and NRC (1988) tables of requirements and feed analysis are used. A digestible energy and crude protein/amino acid balance system is used for requirements.Poultry and rabbit production is highly integrated into cooperatives linked to feed compounders, the latter using confidential tables. The extension service associated with the cooperatives, use the INRA (1984) and NRC (1977, 1984) tables, some of the data in the 1977 rabbit tables being of Italian origin. The true metabolisable energy system is used for poultry, and a digestible energy system for rabbits.

2. The situation in Portugal

The questionnaire was completed by Dr. Ribeiro to whom our thanks are due. There are two Portuguese feed tables, the Composicao Quimica e valor nutritivo de Algumas Forragens Nacionais (Estacao Zootecnica Nacional,1956) and the more recent Tabelas de valor alimentar, forragens mediterrânicas cultivadas em Portugal (Abreu, Calouro and Soares, 1982)The Composicao Quimica e valor nutritivo de Algumas Forragens Nacionais are used nationally, principally for research work, and exist in paper format only. They contain energy and protein requirements for dairy cows, beef, sheep and goats based on forage units, starch equivalent, total digestible nutrients and digestible protein. Feed data is based on proximate analysis and derived nutritive values, together with major minerals and some statistical data. The tables have not been updated since 1956 and the intention is to make the table more complete, correct erroneous data and introduce new feedstuffs following current norms.The Tabelas de valor alimentar, forragens mediterrânicas cultivadas em Portugal are also used for research purposes and only contain data on forages. French (INRA 1978, 1988) requirements are presented for dairy cows, beef, sheep and goats. The tables contain in vitro and in vivo data and nutritive values derived from these, together with protein degradability data, major and trace elements and statistical data. Ingestibility, morphological composition and protein/ha are also presented. These tables are also under a review process. Neither of the Portuguese feed tables are available in electronic format. No information was received about specifically Portuguese feed requirements or composition for non-ruminant livestock.

3. The situation in Greece

The questionnaire was completed by Dr. Nastis to whom our thanks are due. Various tables are used - the West German (DLG, 1982), CIHEAM (1981, 1983, 1990) and the "Feeding Tables of Feedstuffs and Forages" edited by Prof. D.Lianadis are available for national use by both research and extension workers. The tables are also available on personal computers, and contain data on forages, cereals, straights, by- products, compound feeds and nutrient requirements for all the common groups of animals. Feeds are referred to by local names as well as their international feed name. The tables present in vitro and in vivo data with nutritional values derived from the latter. Protein degradability data is available for ruminants, together with Van Soest fibre analysis, major and trace elements, vitamins and amino acids. Fatty acid composition and energy: protein ratios are provided for poultry. The tables have been updated occasionally since their inception but there are currently no plans to further develop them.Nutrient requirements for protein for all species are based on DCP.For dairy cows and goats, NEL (MJ) is used; for beef, NEG or SE; for sheep and horses, SE; for pigs, DE; rabbits and poultry ME.

4. The situation in Spain

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Prof. Augusto Gomez Cabrera kindly responded to the questionnaire and had the courage to reveal that Spain does not have its own system for the evaluation of feedstuffs and generally makes use of either the ARC of INRA systems. Rationing programs are also essentially based on NCR, ARC or INRA principals. Considerable use is mode of the CIHEAM tables (CIHEAM 1981, 1983, 1990), especially as the CIHEAM at Zaragoza is well known throughout Spain.In 1984, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Spanish Confederation of feedstuffs Manufacturers published the "Tablas de composition de primeras materias para nutricion animal" containing analytical data, although these tables are now considered to be of little value.Feedstuffs manufacturers tend to use their own confidential tables and commercially computer programmes.Prof. Cabreras's department has begun to create the first truly "Spanish" Database. This will be associated with a linear programming ration package called "VIOLETTA" which will be applicable to both ruminants and non-ruminants.The feed database contains corresponding to those found in those of INRA, ARC, and NRC, together with Spanish research results. Spanish prediction equations are used to predict energy and protein nutritive values from the analytical data. Tables of nutritional requirements are basically those of INRA, ARC and NRC.It is intended to modify the databases when practical experience suggest it is necessary, as this appears to be the quickest was to update the information required.

5. The situation in Yugoslavia

Prof. Franc Habe from Ljubljana University provided responses and supplementary papers for which we are grateful. Prof. Habe reports that DLG, AEC and NRC tables are used for extension and research work and that these tables are available on personal computers. All feed types apart from forages are covered by the tables, which also include nutrient requirements for all the common animal species including laboratory animals. Net energy, in terms of starch equivalents, and DCP are used for ruminants, DE and CP/DCP for pigs, horses and rabbits and ME, CP and amino acids for poultry.The tables contain nutritive values derived from proximate analysis and in vivo data, together with fibre fractionation, major and trace elements, vitamins and amino acid composition were appropriate; statistical analysis of the data is also present.The evaluation of Yugoslav forage has been on the way systematically since 1979. Samples of fresh grass, first and second cut hay, grass and maize silage are collected each year and analyzed for proximate composition, major minerals some trace elements and, for the silages, volatile fatty acids, ammonia an p. The data are published annually in a university journal (e.g. Stekar, Golob and Stibilj, 1989).

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6. The international Situation

Strictly speaking, the information obtainable from tables are useful only in the geographical area in which the forages and their by-products were grown. A possible solution to this problem would be to implement tables with chemical data highly related to nutritional values. The use of these chemical components in prediction equations for digestibility would be more useful if these were established for groups of feeds of similar origin and Characteristics. For Mediterranean feedstuffs, C.I.H.E.A.M. have proposed tables in which chemical and nutritive data derive directly from in vivo experiments, and this is probably the best way to estimate the nutritive value of feedstuffs.In 1977 a working group was created by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies with the objective of encouraging research on the nutritional value of feedstuffs and Italian laboratories are major contributors of feed data.Three issues of the review "Options Méditerranées have now been published (CIHEAM 1981, 1983, 1990) containing in vitro and in vivo data on 66, 26 and 164 plant species respectively, including forages, shrubs and by-products, although the information is still not available in electronic format. Feeds are arranged by their latin names with French and English

39

describers, together with proximate analysis, Van Soest fibre fractions, major minerals and statistical data. The tables receive contributions from participating laboratories in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Cyprus, Algeria, Marocco and Tunesia.

7. Other Tables

The following tables are known to exist but it has not proved possible to consult them or their publishers:

- Novi sistemi procensivanja hranljive vrednosti stocne hrane. 1984. Ed. Obracevic, Zagreb.- The chemical composition of feedstuffs commonly used in ruminant diets. 1983. Ed. Hadjipanayiotou, E.

Nicosia.- Tables de composition chimique et de la valeur alimentaire des aliments des animaux en Tunisie. Ed.

Chermiti, A. INRAT.

References

Abreu, J.M., Calouro, M.F. and Soares, A.M.B. 1982. Tabelas de valor alimentar, forragens mediterrânicas cultivadas em Portugal. 1a

contribuiçâo. Istituto superior de agronomia - UTL, ex Laboratório de estudos de nutriçâo animal - INIA.

ARC 1980. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Agricultural Research Council, Farnham Royal, Slough. UK.

ARC 1984. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Suppl.1. Agricultural Research Council, Farnham Royal, Slough. UK.

C.I.H.E.A.M. 1981. Options méditerranées. Tableaux de la valeur alimentaire pour les ruminants des fourrages et sous-produits d'origine méditerranéenne. Institut agronomique méditerranéen de Zaragoza. Spain.

C.I.H.E.A.M. 1983. Options méditerranées. Tableaux de la valeur alimentaire pour les ruminants des fourrages et sous-produits d'origine méditerranéenne. Institut agronomoque méditerranéen de Zaragoza. Spain.

C.I.H.E.A.M. 1990. Options méditerranées. Serie B: Etudes et Recherches, numero 4. Tableaux de la valeur alimentaire pour les ruminants des fourrages et sous-produits d'origine méditerranéenne. Eds. Alibes, X. and Tisserand, J.L. Institut agronomique méditerranéen de Zaragoza, Spain.

D.L.G. 1982. DLG-Futterwerttabellen für Wiederkäuer 5., Erweiterte und neu gestaltete Auflage. DLG-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 120 pp.

Estacao Zootecnica Nacional, 1956. Composicao Quimicae valor nutritivo de Algumas Forragens Nacionais. Fonte Boa,

Portugal.INRA 1978. Alimentation des ruminants. Ed. Jarrige,R .INRA, 78000 Versailles, Paris.INRA 1988. Alimentations des bovins, ovins et caprins. Ed. Jarrige ,R. INRA, Paris.INRA 1984. L'alimentation des animaux monogastriques: porc, lapin, volailles. INRA, Paris.Malossini, F., Verna, M. and Setterini, D. 1983. Valore nutritivo di alimenti diversi espressi in UF tradizionali e secondo i nuovi sistimi

energetici. In "La stima del valore nutritivo deglialimenti: metodi classici e concezioni moderne". Eds. Lanari, D., Pinosa, M. and Tibaldi, E. Proceedings of an ASPA seminar, Rome, September 1983.

Maletto, S. 1975. I foraggi. Valutazione Dietetico-nutritiva delle principali foraggere coltivate in Italia. Folia Veterinaria Latina, Vol.5, Suppl. 1.

Martillotti, F., Bartocci, S.,Verna, M. and Malossini, F. 1989. Composizione Chimica e Valore Nutritivo di Mangime Semplici. M.A.F. and Istituto

Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Rome.NRC, 1977. Nutrient requirements of Rabbits. 2nd revesed edition.

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NRC, 1982. United States-Canadian Tables of Feed Composition.NRC, 1984. Nutrient requirements of Poultry. 8th revised edition.NRC, 1985. Ruminant Nitrogen Usage. National Research Council.NRC, 1988. Nutrient Requirements of Swine. 9th revised edition. National Academy Press,

Washington D.C., USA.Reed, J.D. 1987. Phenolics, fiber and fiber digestibility in bird resistant and non bird resistant sorghum

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