Feed manufacturer ForFarmers UK has reported a significant increase in profitability from first half trading, as it completes its business reorganisation.
The restructure, prompted by a 2023 full year loss, led to the divestment of two feed mills – Burston and Radstock – to 2Agriculture in December 2024 and April 2025 respectively.
The UK operation made an underlying EBIT of €8.3 million on revenues of €375.3m in the six months to June 30th 2025, compared to €2.8m and €355.3m in the first half of 2024. Total feed volumes rose by 6.5% year-on-year to 1.25 million tonnes (1.18m tonnes).
ForFarmers notes that UK ruminant volumes showed a clear increase over the half-year, with the strong performance in the ruminant segment showing that it is effectively responding to specific customer needs, in line with its strategy. The business is gaining market share in the non-integrated pig feed market, thereby strengthening its position. The company’s poultry market presence is developing in line with expectations – and showing growth – but the sector continues to integrate into fewer hands.
The sale of the two feed mills means that the volume contribution from temporary toll manufacture production for third parties at these facilities ended in the second quarter. But the reorganisation has led to cost reductions and improved capacity utilisation of the company’s remaining feed plants. The measures have resulted in the substantial improvement in profitability and increased return on average capital employed to 14.0% for the first half of 2025, compared to 3.5% in H1 2024.
The ForFarmers Group has posted a first half reported EBIT of €37.4m on revenues of €1.57 billion in H1 2025, compared to €19.7m and € 1.36bn in the previous first half. Total feed volumes increased by 21.3% to 5.19m tonnes from 4.27m tonnes in H1 2024, helped by the acquisition of Van Triest Veevoeders in Holland and the consolidation of the ForFarmers team agrar joint venture in Germany.
The Group notes that the volatile geopolitical situation is affecting global trade flows, but despite this, feed material prices remain relatively stable across the board, with a slight downwards trend. Farmgate meat, egg and milk prices were at healthy levels during the period.
It says the effect of national buy-out schemes to reduce livestock numbers in the Netherlands is now becoming visible, particularly in the pig sector, while avian influenza has affected the poultry industry in Poland.
ForFarmers continues to work towards reducing CO2 emissions, with greater use of clean electricity in the Netherlands and Germany, and full biogas supply at its Reudink operation by the end of 2026. The business is also increasing its circular feed operations to improve food chain sustainability by closing nutrient loops and reducing CO2 emissions.
In the UK, the first delivery vehicles trucks have switched to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO fuel, while the company is taking steps to formulate feed to reduce its CO2 footprint.
“The strong development of our results over the past six months confirms that we are on the right track,” comments ForFarmers Group chief executive Pieter Wolleswinkel. “With a focused execution of our strategy, we are maintaining and expanding our market positions. Thanks in part to the joint venture in Germany, launched in March, and the acquisition of Van Triest Veevoeders in September 2024, we are demonstrating robust volume growth. In the Netherlands, we are increasing our market share in a contracting market, which enables us to maintain volumes.
“In the UK, where the reorganisation has been completed, we are seeing an exceptional improvement in results, and performance in Poland is also strong. With the start of organic animal feed production at our new German facility, we are responding effectively to the high demand for organic feed in this market.
“We have also taken important steps in implementing our sustainability agenda. In the first half of the year, the focus has been on reducing CO2 emissions from our own operations and further expanding our involvement in co-products to promote circularity.”