Distillery by-products, livestock feed and bio-energy use: report

The Scottish Government commissioned this report in response to concerns by livestock farmers about the impact of anaerobic digestion and bio-energy on the availability of distillery by-product for use as livestock feed in Scotland.

Distillery by-products are an important feed for the livestock sector in Scotland. In recent years, livestock feed use has fallen due to a fall in whisky production and an increased use in bio-energy, which has in turn been driven by government carbon reduction targets and incentives. A rise in bio-ethanol byproducts output in England has partly offset this on a UK wide basis. Distillery by-products had been a surplus product in Scotland and the livestock sector had benefitted from lower feed prices. This has changed due to falling supply and rising demand leading to an increase in the price of distillery by-products. Farmers have adapted by making better use of home grown forage and switching to alternative feeds. Forecasts of rising whisky production are expected to see rising distillery by-product output in the next few years

Read the full report here