This opening marks the completion of the first phase of an ambitious investment programme in research facilities totalling €9 million. The facilities are meeting all requirements for accurate and applied feed evaluation studies.

The Mayor stressed the importance of private international operating innovation centers for Lelystad at a time when government institutes are withdrawing from production-orientated research. Executive Councillor for the province Flevoland, Mr A. Greiner, emphasised the necessity of innovation in the industry and agriculture. He called Schothorst Feed Research an important player in agricultural innovation and knowledge complex in Flevoland.

The chairman of the board of Schothorst Feed Research stated that with these new facilities the organization will be able to meet the increasing international demand for animal nutrition research under conditions that will be common practice in the EU after the ban on cages.

The new layer facilities will house 26000 layers in a veranda aviary system. It consists of 80 experimental units with 330 layers each. It is a unique facility and especially designed for requirement studies, studies to measure the interaction between nutrition and behaviour, ammonia emission and registration studies for the EU. The unit is also equipped with automatic feeding systems for each pen, and has automatic egg counting and weighing units for reliable production measurements. Outside EU, the SFR recommendations will continue to be based on the regular laying hen cages.