About the Irish Grain and Feed Association (IGFA)

Founded in 1988, the Irish Grain and Feed Association serves as the unified voice of Ireland’s compound feed manufacturers, feed material importers, grain intake operators, and premix companies.

The Irish feed industry produces approximately 6 million tonnes of animal feed annually, supports thousands of jobs across the country, and plays a vital role in sustaining the rural economy. Overall, the sector contributes an estimated €2.5–3 billion to the Irish economy.

IGFA’s full membership includes feed manufacturers, feed importers, and grain collectors, while ancillary members primarily consist of additive and premix producers. Members span both independent and cooperative enterprises, with many long-established, family-run businesses that have been central to rural Irish life for generations. All members comply with internationally recognised quality assurance programmes, ensuring the highest standards of feed safety.

Representation across all membership sectors is ensured through the IGFA Feed Committee, the organisation’s principal decision-making body. Meeting quarterly, the committee guides both the political and technical direction of the association.

IGFA Mission and Member Support

The Irish Grain and Feed Association is committed to supporting its members by fostering a political and economic environment that enables the production of safe, nutritious animal feed in a profitable and sustainable manner. This is achieved through a range of core activities:

Political Representation
IGFA represents, defends, and promotes the interests of the Irish compound feed and premix industry at national, European, and international levels. Engagement with government departments, European institutions, and key stakeholders ensures that policy decisions are informed and aligned with the needs of the sector. Regular interaction with policymakers, alongside collaboration across the wider food chain, addresses critical issues such as climate change and mycotoxins. IGFA also participates in government committees and advisory forums on behalf of the industry.

Information
Members are kept informed of regulatory changes, political developments affecting the agri-food sector, and emerging market trends. This timely flow of information enables businesses to anticipate change, remain compliant, and respond effectively to new challenges and opportunities.

Technical Support
Through regular communications, including a monthly newsletter, IGFA provides members with essential technical updates, as well as food and feed safety alerts, helping to maintain the highest operational standards.

Personal Development
IGFA supports continuous professional development by organising training workshops, conferences, and certified courses. It also provides a platform for members to exchange knowledge and share best practices across the industry.

IGFA Team 

The Team of the Irish Grain and Feed Association brings together extensive expertise across the feed, agriculture, and policy sectors.

Ray Winters – IGFA President
Ray Winters serves as President of IGFA, providing strategic leadership and representing the interests of the Irish feed industry at the highest level.

Michael Shields – IGFA Feed Committee Chairman
Elected Chairman of the IGFA Feed Committee in September 2024, Michael Shields is Chief Technical Officer at Connolly’s Red Mills and a member of its Senior Management Team. He holds a B.Agr.Sc from University College Dublin and an MBA from RMIT University.

Since joining Connolly’s Red Mills in 2018, he has overseen feed formulation, product research and development, quality control, technical support, laboratory services, and key business relationships. Michael has built a distinguished career across the animal feed and animal health industries, holding roles with companies such as Alltech, Fyffes, TP Whelehan, and Trident. His international experience spans over 20 countries, with time spent living in England, Australia, and Central America.

He is a past president of the Irish Pig Health Society and serves on the Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS) Sub-Committee of the British Equine Trade Association.

Maeve Whyte – IGFA Director General
Maeve Whyte has more than 20 years’ experience in agricultural policy. She began her career as Environment Policy Adviser with the National Farmers’ Union in London before becoming Director of its Brussels office, the British Agriculture Bureau, in 2006. There, she worked on key EU policy areas affecting farmers, including Brexit. She returned to Dublin in 2020 to join IGFA and was appointed Director General in 2021.

Cornelia O’Connell – IGFA Regulatory Specialist
Cornelia O’Connell holds a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from University College Cork, along with qualifications in Quality Management and Ruminant Nutrition Management.

With over 25 years’ experience in the Irish feed and premix industry, she has held roles in product formulation and quality management with Nutribio Ltd. and Inform Nutrition Ltd. Since joining IGFA in 2016, she has provided specialist technical and regulatory expertise to support the sector.

Click here to view IGFA Full Mambers

European Partners

IGFA is member of the influential European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC). Founded in 1959 by five national compound feed associations from France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, its membership is now made up of national associations from 22 EU Member States. It also has a number of observer/associated members from non-EU countries.
Based in Brussels, FEFAC is the eyes, ears and voice of the European compound feed industry and represents and promotes the views of our industry to the European institutions, international bodies and all other policy stakeholders. IGFA staff and members contribute constantly to the political and technical work of FEFAC through their involvement in the Council and specialist committees.