The Asia-Pacific is becoming a hot spot for stockfeed production, lifting another three per cent last year as global output topped one billion tonnes for the second year in a row.
Pigs, poultry and pets are driving much of the increase in the region according to the latest survey results from the annual global feed survey across 144 countries by livestock nutrition giant, Alltech.
However, stockfeed used for beef production has declined slightly as demand from chicken, pork and fish producers climbs.
The 2018 survey calculates feed tonnage totalled about 1.07b or 2.5pc more than last year.
The results are based on compound feed production information from Alltech’s sales team and feed associations worldwide. The global feed industry is worth about $531b.
In the past five years it has grown in value about 13pc, or an average 2.5pc, in line with increasing demand for meat, milk and eggs.
China and the US produce a third of all animal feed, with China’s 186.86m tonne output leading the market.
Both countries enjoyed predominant growth in the pig, broiler and dairy feed sectors last year, although that trend has also been evident across Europe and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Europe’s overall growth trends matched Asia-Pacific driven by increases in pig, broiler and aqua feed production, particularly in Russia which moved up in country rankings from seven to four.
The seventh annual Alltech survey covers output from more than 30,000 feed mills.
After China and the US, the next busiest stockfeed markets, by production rank, were Brazil, Russia, Mexico, India and Spain.
The top seven have 54pc of the world’s feed mills and account for 53pc of total production.
The Asia-Pacific region produces more than 35pc of the world’s feed tonnage, although interestingly, China’s contribution has declined slightly compared to 2016 while the region’s total output grew.
The region produces 70pc of the world’s aquaculture feeds and 44pc all layer hen feed volumes.
Globally, beef feed production declined about 1pc, primarily in Latin America, Africa and Europe.
Alltech said this reflected a global downward trend generally felt by the industry for some time.
This was the result of more consumers turning to “white” meats such as chicken, pork and fish.
Dairy feed production grew in all regions, led by Europe which increased output 2pc, with Africa seeing the largest rise of 10pc.
Alltech chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts, Aidan Connolly, said the survey was as a valuable report on the state of the industry.