Aquafeed, one of the fastest-growing feed sectors

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The 2021 Alltech Global Feed Survey estimates that international feed tonnage increased by 1%, to 1,187.7 million metric tons (MMT) of feed produced last year. 

China saw 5% growth and reclaimed its position as the top feed-producing country, with 240 MMT. Rounding out the top ten feed-producing countries, including tonnage and growth percentage, are the U.S. (215.9 MMT, +1%), Brazil (77.6 MMT, +10%), India (39.3 MMT, -5%), Mexico (37.9 MMT, +4%), Spain (34.8 MMT, 0%), Russia (31.3 MMT, +3%), Japan (25.2 MMT, 0%), Germany (24.9 MMT, 0%) and Argentina (22.5, +7%). Altogether, these countries account for 63% of the world’s feed production and can be viewed as an indicator of the overall trends in agriculture.

The global data, collected from more than 140 countries and more than 28,000 feed mills, indicates feed production by species as follows: broilers, 28%; pigs, 24%; layers, 14%; dairy, 11%; beef, 10%; other species, 7%; aquaculture, 4%; and pets, 2%. The predominant growth came from the broiler, pig, aquafeeds and pet feed sectors.

Going beyond the numbers for a holistic look at the state of the industry, the survey also incorporates qualitative questions to uncover trends such as COVID-19, sustainability and antibiotic reduction.

The 2021 Alltech Global Feed Survey results, including species-specific feed production numbers, interactive graphs and maps, are available at one.alltech.com/2021-global-feed-survey.