Gitnux/Report 2026

Feed Industry Statistics

Fishmeal protein share in aquafeed fell to 10% in 2022 (from 20% in 2000)—see what’s driving ingredient shifts across animal feed.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Feed Industry Statistics
Priya ChandrasekaranWritten by Priya Chandrasekaran·Edited by Aisha Okonkwo·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The feed industry at a glance

Global feed production reached approximately 1.44 billion metric tons in 2025, up 2.9% year over year, with Asia remaining the largest regional producer and poultry the leading end-use segment.

1.44B mt
Global feed production, 2025
2.9%
Global production growth, 2025
559.3M mt
Asia feed production, 2025
42.7%[8]
Poultry share of feed tonnage, 2024
Market size
Global feed production was approximately 1.44 billion metric tons in 2025, compared with 1.400 billion metric tons in 2024. The EU compound feed industry produced approximately 146 million metric tons in 2024.[77]
Forecast & CAGR
The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026-2035 projects a 13.5% increase in global feed protein consumption over the next decade, supported by larger herds and more intensive feeding systems. The 2025 outlook projected a 15% increase in global feed consumption on a protein-equivalent basis through 2034.[4]
Market share & regions
Asia produced 559.3 million metric tons in 2025, equivalent to about 38.8% of global output. North America produced 288.6 million metric tons, Europe 274.1 million, and Latin America 204.4 million.
Segmentation
Poultry accounted for 42.7% of global feed tonnage in 2024. In the same year, pet food production reached 37.692 million metric tons, up 4.5%, while poultry feed remained the largest species category.[8][1]
Key players & concentration
The global industry remains geographically broad: Alltech’s 2026 survey covered 142 countries and 38,837 feed mills. In the EU27, compound feed manufacturing employed more than 100,000 people across approximately 3,200 production sites in 2022, indicating a large and distributed manufacturing base.[8][77]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being driven by rising animal-protein demand, urbanisation, commercialisation of livestock production, and the shift from on-farm mixing to manufactured feed. The main constraints are disease outbreaks, climate volatility, geopolitical disruption, raw-material price exposure, and sustainability requirements; Alltech identified highly pathogenic avian influenza and African swine fever as significant influences on 2024 feed demand.[4][8]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is shifting toward poultry, aquaculture, and premium pet nutrition as consumers in emerging economies gain income and urbanise. India and Southeast Asia are projected to contribute 39% of global agricultural consumption growth by 2035, while pet food production grew 4.5% in 2024, reflecting premiumisation and pet humanisation.[4][1]
M&A
ADM and Alltech announced a North American animal-feed joint venture in September 2025, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2026. Alltech contributed Hubbard Feeds and Masterfeeds, including 17 U.S. and 15 Canadian feed mills, while ADM contributed 11 U.S. feed mills.[54]
Regulation
EU feed regulation covers feed materials, compound feed, additives, hygiene, labelling, genetically modified feed, and medicated feed. In 2026, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1115 amended the application requirements for feed-additive authorisations and the designation of target animal species and categories.[80][81]
Latest news
The 2026 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook reported that global feed tonnage increased by 40.136 million metric tons in 2025 to 1.440 billion metric tons. The report attributed regional growth primarily to stronger poultry and aquaculture demand, commercialisation, and shifts toward manufactured feed.

02 Ranking

Top 9 Companies in the Feed Industry

The leading companies in the feed industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Thanks to Cargill’s nearly 18 million metric tons of feed annually across livestock, poultry and aquaculture feed, it fits buyers who need large-volume manufacturing; whereas Nutreco stands out through its Trouw Nutrition and Skretting animal-nutrition businesses spanning livestock nutrition and aquafeed.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in animal Nutrition Manufacturing

    Cargill

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Animal Nutrition Manufacturing

    Why we picked it: Its livestock, poultry and aquaculture feed scale links directly to large-volume manufacturing and distribution.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cargill.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Nutreco

    NL

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Animal Nutrition Manufacturing

    Why we picked it: Its portfolio spans livestock nutrition and aquafeed through Trouw Nutrition and Skretting operations.

    See in ranking ↓Visit nutreco.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Royal Agrifirm Group

    NL

    Ranked #3 · 8.7 · Animal Nutrition Manufacturing

    Why we picked it: Its offerings cover compound feed plus premixes and additives used in livestock feed formulation.

    See in ranking ↓Visit agrifirm.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 9 companies in the feed industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Cargill

Animal Nutrition Manufacturing · US

9.6
2

Nutreco

Animal Nutrition Manufacturing · NL

9.1
3

Royal Agrifirm Group

Animal Nutrition Manufacturing · NL

8.7
4

ForFarmers

Animal Nutrition Manufacturing · NL

8.7
5

Alltech

Animal Nutrition Manufacturing · US

8.6
6

Charoen Pokphand Foods

Animal feed and integrated livestock nutrition · TH

8.5
7

De Heus Animal Nutrition

Compound feed and animal nutrition · NL

8.5
8

JAPFA

Animal feed and integrated Asian agrifood · SG

8.2
9

ADM

Animal nutrition, premixes and feed additives · US

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Top 9 companies in the feed industry. In Feed Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/feed-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Animal feed production by country

China leads with 315 million metric tons.

China315 million metric tons
U.S.269.6 million metric tons
Brazil86.6 million metric tons
India55.2 million metric tons
Mexico41.4 million metric tons
Russia38.5 million metric tons
source-verifiedalltech.com

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption is moving from pilots toward implementation planning, with 31% of surveyed companies completing at least one AI pilot or proof of concept in 2026.

AI in the feed industry

  • 31% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies had completed at least one AI pilot or proof of concept in 2026.[1]
  • 49% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies cited general knowledge gaps as a major AI-adoption barrier in 2026.[1]
  • 47% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies wanted AI to analyze laboratory samples in 2026.[1]
  • 38% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies worked with consulting partners to address AI implementation challenges in 2026.[1]
  • 66% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies relied on existing software providers to address AI implementation challenges in 2026.[1]
  • 55% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies cited a lack of data-science skills as a major AI-adoption barrier in 2026.[1]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[2]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[2]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[3]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[2]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[2]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[4]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[4]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[4]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[4]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[4]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[4]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[5]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[2]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[5]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[2]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[2]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[2]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[2]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[4]

IoT in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 10% used Internet of Things technologies in 2023.[2]
  • Across EU farms with livestock, about 11% used animal-welfare or health-monitoring systems in 2023.[4]
  • Among agri-food companies investing more than 30% of annual turnover in digital technologies, 5.41% prioritised Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[2]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 24% used Internet of Things technologies in 2024, up from 10% in 2023.[2]

Innovation in the feed industry

  • 43% of the study’s estimated total feed-industry R&D was spent by four feed-specialist companies.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data coverage and data-quality governance show up as constraints: 38,837 feed mills contributed data to Alltech’s 2026 survey, while 44% of manufacturers reported AI projects failed because of poor data quality in 2025.

Business intelligence in the feed industry

  • 3,600 users were supported by Nutreco’s global cloud ERP deployment for nutritional-solutions and aquaculture operations in 2023.[7]
  • 38,837 feed mills contributed data to Alltech’s 2026 global feed survey covering 2025 production.[8]
  • 142 countries were represented in Alltech’s 2026 global feed survey covering feed-production activity in 2025.[8]
  • 51 incidents involving pathogenic microorganisms were reported in the UK animal-feed system between April 2025 and March 2026.[9]
  • 97 animal-feed incidents were reported in the UK between April 2025 and March 2026, compared with 74 in the previous period.[9]
  • One global platform was used by Nutreco to standardize processes and produce aggregated reports for feed business planning in 2023.[7]

Data analytics in the feed industry

  • Over 100 production plants were connected to Nutreco’s integrated reporting and analytics platform in 2023.[7]
  • 37 countries were covered by Nutreco’s cloud-based data platform for nutritional-solutions and aquaculture operations in 2023.[7]
  • 3,600 Nutreco users were supported by an integrated cloud platform that consolidated data for business planning, inventory and delivery decisions in 2023.[7]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[10]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[10]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[10]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[11]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[11]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[12]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[13]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[10]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[10]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[12]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[12]

KPIs in the feed industry

  • 800 kilotons was the product-volume target listed for CPF’s Pakthongchai feed mill at its world-class milestone.[14]
  • 81% was the OEE target listed for CPF’s Pakthongchai feed mill at its advanced manufacturing-excellence milestone.[14]
  • 95% was the customer-satisfaction target used by CPF’s Pakthongchai feed mill in its operational-excellence roadmap.[14]
  • 75% was the OEE target listed for CPF’s Pakthongchai feed mill at the first operational-excellence milestone.[14]
  • 78% was the OEE target listed for CPF’s Pakthongchai feed mill at a later manufacturing-excellence milestone.[14]
  • 367,930 tons was the annual feed-production-volume KPI reported by a Saudi feed-segment company in 2025.[15]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Feed demand growth links to species mix and protein intensity; OECD-FAO projects a 13.5% increase in global feed protein consumption over 2026-2035.

Growth in the feed industry

  • 3% was the average annual growth rate of the feed industry over the ten years to 2023 in Alltech’s historical analysis.[8]
  • 21% growth increased Haid’s full-year feed sales to 32.08 million tons in 2025.[16]
  • 3.7% was the feed industry’s average annual growth rate over the five years to 2023 in Alltech’s historical analysis.[8]
  • 4.56% growth lifted India’s feed production to 55.243 million metric tons in 2024.[17]
  • 9.3% growth increased Haid’s first-half 2026 revenue to CNY64.24 billion.[16]
  • 8.53% growth made Russia the fastest-growing one of the ten largest feed-producing countries in 2024.[17]

Differentiation in the feed industry

  • 99% purity was claimed for Phileo’s Safchondro animal-free chondroitin sulfate for pet nutrition in 2025.[17]
  • 5% was the global reduction in antimicrobial use in animals between 2020 and 2022 among consistent reporters cited in the 2026 feed-industry report.[18]
  • 2 times was the increase in Veramaris production volumes reported by DSM-Firmenich in 2024, differentiating its alternative omega-3 supply.[19]
  • 2 reports from IFEEDER addressed U.S. animal-feed and pet-food consumption and sustainability tools in 2023.[20]
  • 25% of reporting members still reported antimicrobial use for growth promotion in the cited 2020–2022 period.[18]
  • 5.0% organic sales growth was delivered by DSM-Firmenich’s animal-nutrition and health business in 2024.[19]

Mergers and acquisitions in the feed industry

  • 17 feed mills across five Asian countries were included in De Heus’s planned acquisition of CJ Feed & Care operations.[18]
  • 11 U.S. feed mills were to be contributed by ADM to its North American joint venture with Alltech announced in September 2025.[18]
  • 49% of Nova Sea was held by Mowi in 2024 through an associated-company relationship relevant to aquaculture feed integration.[21]
  • 2 U.S. feed mills were acquired by Cargill from Compana Pet Brands in September 2024.[18]
  • 1 acquisition-led expansion was reported for ForFarmers in the Netherlands in 2024 as part of its feed-volume growth strategy.[22]
  • 7% volume growth was reported by ForFarmers in 2024 through acquisitions in Poland and the Netherlands, according to an industry market summary.[22]

Strategic partnerships in the feed industry

  • 1 Pathways to Dairy Net Zero consortium included Nutreco’s Trouw Nutrition animal-nutrition workstream alongside research, producer and NGO partners.[23]
  • 1 long-standing partnership with Nutreco gave Quantum Foods access to international feed-formulation research and benchmarking in 2025.[24]
  • 1 North American joint venture between ADM and Alltech was announced in September 2025 for launch in early 2026.[18]
  • R194 million was approved for Quantum Foods’ Malmesbury feed-mill expansion in April 2024 under its broader nutrition partnership strategy.[24]
  • 11 ADM U.S. feed mills were planned for contribution to the ADM–Alltech North American joint venture.[18]
  • 1 Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit was developed by AFIA, IFEEDER and industry partners in 2023.[20]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce signals stay practical for operations: more than 80,000 people were directly employed by the U.S. animal-food industry in 2023.

Hiring in the feed industry

  • More than 80,000 people were directly employed by the U.S. animal-food industry in 2023.[25]
  • 60,207 people were employed in U.S. animal-food manufacturing in 2021.[26]
  • 61,902 people were employed in U.S. animal-food manufacturing in 2022.[26]
  • 60,045 people were employed in U.S. animal-food manufacturing in 2020.[26]
  • 71,989 people were employed in U.S. animal-food manufacturing in 2024.[26]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[27]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[28]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[29]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[29]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred part-time remote work in 2024.[30]
  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[30]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[31]
  • 33% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working in hybrid arrangements in 2024.[30]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[27]

Upskilling in the feed industry

  • 31.36% of 287 Nigerian livestock-feed processors rated feed-raw-material composition as highly needed training in 2026.[32]
  • 39.02% of 287 Nigerian livestock-feed processors rated feed-mill machine processing as highly needed training in 2026.[32]
  • 32.75% of 287 Nigerian livestock-feed processors rated animal nutritional requirements as highly needed training in 2026.[32]
  • 50.17% of 287 Nigerian livestock-feed processors rated proximate-analysis calculation as highly needed training in 2026.[32]
  • 35.50% of 287 Nigerian livestock-feed processors rated feed storage, safety and hygiene as highly needed training in 2026.[32]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[33]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[33]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[33]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[34]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[33]

DEI in the feed industry

  • 48,366 women worked in the U.S. animal-food, grain and oilseed milling industry in 2024.[35]
  • 83% of employees at 22 ASC-certified feed mills were male in 2024.[36]
  • 17% of employees at 22 ASC-certified feed mills were female in 2024.[36]
  • 70.4% of the U.S. animal-food, grain and oilseed milling workforce were men in 2024.[35]
  • 68.1% of the U.S. animal-food, grain and oilseed milling workforce identified as White in 2024.[35]

Change Management in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 53% reported conducting safety-related training as a structural change.[37]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer metrics remain high in specific plants and years, including 84% customer satisfaction for Japfa animal-feed products in 2023 and 2024.

Customer experience in the feed industry

  • 99.6% was customer satisfaction with feed products in the Feed Business Unit of China Youran Dairy Group in 2022, China.[38]
  • More than 95% was the satisfaction level for five customer-service categories at Charoen Pokphand Enterprise’s Kaohsiung feed factory in 2023, Taiwan.[39]
  • 87% was Japfa’s customer satisfaction score for animal-feed products in 2022, Indonesia.[40]
  • 84% was Japfa’s customer satisfaction score for animal-feed products in 2023, Indonesia.[40]
  • 84% was Japfa’s customer satisfaction score for animal-feed products in 2024, Indonesia.[40]

Customer retention in the feed industry

  • 2 complaints about feed products were recorded by China Youran Dairy Group’s Feed Business Unit in 2022, China.[38]
  • 86% was overall customer satisfaction at Charoen Pokphand Enterprise’s Taichung feed factory in 2023, Taiwan.[39]
  • 82% was overall customer satisfaction at Charoen Pokphand Enterprise’s Taichung feed factory in 2021, Taiwan.[39]
  • 79% was overall customer satisfaction at Charoen Pokphand Enterprise’s Taichung feed factory in 2022, Taiwan.[39]

Customer acquisition in the feed industry

  • 16% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were consulting, veterinary, nutrition, or related businesses in the second half of 2023.[41]
  • 13% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were integrators, farmers, or producers in the second half of 2023.[41]
  • 155,600 was Feed Strategy’s average monthly reach to animal-feed professionals in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 31% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were in animal-feed manufacturing in the second half of 2023.[41]
  • 176 countries were covered by Feed Strategy’s audience reach in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]

Customer loyalty in the feed industry

  • 47% of livestock producers reported loyalty to animal-feed brands in Purdue’s 2022 agribusiness survey, United States.[42]
  • 62 was the 2022 Net Promoter Score for DSM’s Animal Nutrition & Health customers worldwide.[43]
  • 56 was DSM Animal Nutrition & Health’s 2016 Net Promoter Score among customers worldwide.[43]
  • 67 was DSM Animal Nutrition & Health’s 2020 Net Promoter Score among customers worldwide.[43]
  • 51 was DSM Animal Nutrition & Health’s 2018 Net Promoter Score among customers worldwide.[43]

Lead generation in the feed industry

  • 17% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations worked in marketing and sales in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 16% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were in consulting, veterinary, nutrition, or animal-health products in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 27% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were nutritionists, veterinarians, quality-control, or R&D professionals in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 24% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations were top executives or key corporate professionals in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing channels shift with end-markets: in 2023, 58% of other-species livestock producers in the United States rated social media important or very important.

Marketing in the feed industry

  • 58% of surveyed other-species livestock producers rated social media important or very important as a marketing channel in 2023, United States.[44]
  • 4.00 out of 5 was the mean importance poultry producers assigned to marketing support in a 2023 Kansas State University survey, United States.[44]

Digital marketing in the feed industry

  • 77% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations served broilers in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 70% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations served layers in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 71% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations served swine in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 62% of Feed Strategy’s audience organizations served dairy cattle in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]
  • 155,600 was Feed Strategy’s average monthly digital reach to animal-feed professionals in the second half of 2023, globally.[41]

Branding in the feed industry

  • 62 was DSM Animal Nutrition & Health’s customer Net Promoter Score in 2022, indicating measured customer advocacy for the business’s brand and service proposition worldwide.[43]
  • 52% of livestock producers reported loyalty to animal-feed dealers or retailers in Purdue’s 2022 survey, United States.[42]
  • 47% of livestock producers reported loyalty to animal-feed brands in Purdue’s 2022 survey, United States.[42]

Social media in the feed industry

  • 25% of other-species livestock producers reported that social media was not used or not important as a marketing channel in 2023, United States.[44]
  • 17% of other-species livestock producers rated social media slightly to moderately important as a marketing channel in 2023, United States.[44]
  • 58% of other-species livestock producers considered social media important or very important for marketing in 2023, United States.[44]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[45]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[45]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[45]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[45]
  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[45]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Capacity and output measures stay central to execution comparisons, for example 367,930 tons annual feed-production volume reported by a Saudi feed-segment company in 2025.

Operational efficiency in the feed industry

  • ForFarmers’ like-for-like total volume increased 3.5% in 2024 after excluding acquisitions and divestments.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ gross profit increased 8.6% to €518.3 million in 2024.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ like-for-like compound-feed volume increased 2.1% in 2024.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ compound-feed volume increased 3.3% in 2024.[46]
  • Bakkafrost used 99% of its feed sales internally in 2024.[47]

Quality management in the feed industry

  • Aman Feed’s 2024–2025 product mix included 90,086 tonnes of broiler feed, representing 54.76% of sales.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s annual production capacity was 148,200 metric tonnes in 2025.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s 2024–2025 product mix included 38,144 tonnes of layer feed, representing 23.19% of sales.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s 2024–2025 product mix included 16,693 tonnes of cattle feed, representing 10.15% of sales.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s 2024–2025 product mix included 19,580 tonnes of fish feed, representing 11.90% of sales.[48]

Supply chain in the feed industry

  • Bakkafrost’s received raw material volume decreased 34% in 2024.[47]
  • Bakkafrost produced 10,919 tonnes of fish oil in 2024.[47]
  • ForFarmers’ acquisition of Van Triest Veevoeders expanded its position in co-products and circular raw materials in 2024.[46]
  • Bakkafrost produced 66,414 tonnes of fishmeal in 2024.[47]
  • Bakkafrost received 309,502 tonnes of raw material for fishmeal and fish-oil production in 2024.[47]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[49]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[50]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[51]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[52]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[51]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Margins and cash flow still anchor underwriting: ForFarmers reported €518.3 million gross profit in 2024 and €70.2 million operating cash flow.

Pricing strategy in the feed industry

  • Aman Feed’s fish feed accounted for 11.90% of product sales in fiscal year 2024–2025.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s broiler feed accounted for 54.76% of product sales in fiscal year 2024–2025.[48]
  • Aman Feed’s cattle feed accounted for 10.15% of product sales in fiscal year 2024–2025.[48]
  • ForFarmers’ gross profit reached €518.3 million in 2024, supported by a more effective buying-and-selling approach.[46]
  • Aman Feed’s layer feed accounted for 23.19% of product sales in fiscal year 2024–2025.[48]

Cost reduction in the feed industry

  • ForFarmers’ underlying EBIT increased 80.7% year on year to €59.1 million in 2024.[46]
  • ADM’s animal-nutrition operating profit was $26 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.[53]
  • ADM reported $42 million of year-to-date 2025 animal-nutrition operating profit through the second quarter.[54]
  • ADM’s animal-nutrition operating profit was $59 million in 2024, with cost-optimization efforts and lower input costs supporting higher margins.[53]
  • ForFarmers’ return on average capital employed increased from 7.1% in 2023 to 13.0% in 2024.[46]

Profitability in the feed industry

  • ADM’s animal-nutrition operating profit was $22 million in the second quarter of 2025.[54]
  • ForFarmers’ underlying net profit was €40.6 million in 2024.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ underlying EBITDA was €100.8 million in 2024.[46]
  • ADM’s year-to-date 2025 animal-nutrition operating profit was $42 million through the second quarter.[54]
  • ForFarmers’ underlying EBIT was €59.1 million in 2024.[46]

Financial planning in the feed industry

  • ForFarmers proposed a €0.20 ordinary-share dividend for 2024, compared with €0.15 for 2023.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ planned 2025 underlying EBITDA target represented a range of €125 million to €135 million.[46]
  • ForFarmers reported €59.1 million of underlying EBIT in 2024.[46]
  • ForFarmers targeted underlying EBITDA of €125 million to €135 million by 2025 in its strategy plan.[46]
  • ForFarmers’ operating cash flow was €70.2 million in 2024.[46]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product-development timelines and operational targets appear alongside product mix, such as 45–60 days summer shelf life for textured sweet horse-feed products sold by KENT Nutrition.

Product development in the feed industry

  • 10% of annual turnover was invested by Delacon in its Products and Innovation division, focused on phytogenic feed-additive development.[55]
  • Multiple internal and collaborative projects advanced natural antioxidant solutions for food, pet-food, rendering and animal-nutrition applications at CamlinFS in FY2025–26.[56]
  • €3.3 billion in annual revenue was generated by DSM-Firmenich’s Animal Nutrition & Health business in 2024, which develops vitamins, feed additives, premixes and precision services globally.[19]
  • A new pilot plant and expanded laboratory capacity were planned for Mexico in FY2026–27 to accelerate product-development speed and commercial validation in animal nutrition.[56]
  • Around 80 researchers worked at the Biomin Research Center on microbiology, molecular biology, analytics, fermentation, formulation and quality control for feed additives.[55]

Product lifecycle in the feed industry

  • 45–60 days is the suggested summer shelf life for textured sweet horse-feed products sold by KENT Nutrition.[57]
  • 180 days is the recommended shelf life for well-dried mash, crumble or pellet feed in waterproof bags in Uganda.[58]
  • Up to 6 months is the suggested summer shelf life for Rain-Cote mineral-feed products sold by KENT Nutrition.[57]
  • 180 days is the typical expiration period for most natural-ingredient dry laboratory diets unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise.[59]
  • 120 days is the recommended shelf life for well-dried pelleted feed or crumbles in non-waterproof bags in Uganda.[58]

After-sales in the feed industry

  • 320 customer-satisfaction forms were collected by the Kaohsiung feed factory in Taiwan during 2024.[39]
  • More than 95% was the satisfaction level achieved across five major surveys at the Kaohsiung feed factory in 2024.[39]

Value proposition in the feed industry

  • 1,600 tons per week was the production volume of Michael Foods’ new Gaylord feed mill serving three farm sites in 2024.[60]
  • 367,930 tons was the annual feed-production volume reported by a Saudi feed-segment company in 2025, up from 338,022 tons in 2024.[15]
  • 8.9% was the year-on-year increase in animal-feed production volume reported by a Saudi feed-segment company in 2025.[15]
  • 100 tons per hour was the maximum poultry-feed output of Michael Foods’ new Gaylord, Minnesota feed mill opened in March 2024.[60]
  • 434,350 tons was the annual feed-production capacity reported by a Saudi feed-segment company in both 2024 and 2025.[15]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability reporting connects to emissions scopes and allocation; 97% of greenhouse-gas emissions reported by ASC-certified feed mills were Scope 3 emissions in 2024.

Sustainability in the feed industry

  • 13,332 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions were reduced through renewable-energy initiatives at GREENFEED in 2024.[61]
  • 94% of Skretting Australia’s 2024 feed footprint came from ingredients and inbound transport rather than factory Scope 1 and 2 emissions.[62]
  • 18.46% of GREENFEED’s finished products were distributed in bulk through silo systems in Vietnam in 2024.[61]
  • 65.2% of global feed production came from the 10 largest feed-producing countries in 2025.[8]
  • 37% of United States livestock-feed ingredients were classified as circular bioeconomic ingredients in 2023.[63]

ESG in the feed industry

  • 97% of greenhouse-gas emissions reported by ASC-certified feed mills were Scope 3 emissions in 2024.[36]
  • 3% of greenhouse-gas emissions reported by ASC-certified feed mills came from Scope 1 and Scope 2 sources in 2024.[36]
  • 121,433 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions were reported by GREENFEED across its businesses in 2024.[61]
  • 63.2% of GREENFEED’s reported 2024 greenhouse-gas emissions came from its feed business in Vietnam.[61]
  • 1,680 kilograms of CO2e per tonne of feed was the average ASC feed-mill footprint using economic allocation in 2024.[36]

Ethics in the feed industry

  • 38,837 feed mills in 142 countries were included in Alltech’s global feed-production survey conducted in late 2025.[8]
  • 11.4% of United States surplus food was repurposed as animal feed in 2024.[64]
  • 300,000 cows from nearly 2,000 farms in 25 countries are represented in Keenan’s feed-efficiency database.[65]

CSR in the feed industry

  • 50 delivery stations were equipped with 11,770 chargers in Amazon’s electric-delivery network in the United States in 2024, including its feed-supply customers and other businesses.[66]
  • 75 manufacturing facilities worldwide produce Alltech specialty ingredients, premixes, supplements and feed products.[8]
  • 1.5 billion packages were delivered using Amazon electric delivery vans and other electric vehicles globally in 2024.[66]
  • 2,000 farms in 25 countries contribute data to Keenan’s global feed-efficiency field database.[65]

Circular economy in the feed industry

  • 37% of United States livestock-feed ingredients were circular ingredients in 2023, including coproducts such as soybean meal, corn distillers’ grains and rendered products.[63]
  • 4.8 million metric tons of rendered animal proteins and fats were used in United States livestock feed in 2023.[63]
  • 50% of dairy-feed ingredients used in the United States were classified as bioeconomically circular in 2023.[63]
  • 28% of swine-feed ingredients used in the United States were classified as bioeconomically circular in 2023.[63]
  • 82% of aquaculture-feed ingredients used in the United States were classified as bioeconomically circular in 2023.[63]

Carbon footprint in the feed industry

  • 0.928 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of feed came from Scope 3 emissions at Alltech Coppens in 2024.[67]
  • 32% of Skretting Australia’s 2024 feed footprint came from vegetable proteins.[62]
  • 92% of Alltech Coppens’ 2024 feed footprint came from Scope 3 emissions.[67]
  • 1.41 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of feed was Skretting Norway’s 2024 factory-gate footprint.[62]
  • 1.009 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of feed was Alltech Coppens’ average fish-feed carbon footprint in 2024.[67]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Manufacturing footprint is geographically broad: Asia-Pacific recorded 8,211 feed mills operating in 2024, and Asia produced 559.3M mt in 2025.

Globalization in the feed industry

  • 52% of global feed production was concentrated in China, the United States, Brazil and India in 2024.[17]
  • 1.44 billion metric tons of feed were produced globally in 2024, according to Alltech’s worldwide survey.[8]
  • 142 countries contributed data to Alltech’s global feed-production survey for 2024, covering 28,235 feed mills.[17]
  • 60 countries hosted DSM-Firmenich’s animal-nutrition and health team of more than 6,000 people in 2024.[19]
  • 65.6% of global feed production came from the ten largest feed-producing countries in 2024.[17]

Cultural adaptation in the feed industry

  • 60 species of fish were served by Skretting’s feed operations across five continents in 2016.[55]
  • 10% year-on-year growth in Haid’s poultry-feed export sales was reported for 2024 as the company expanded cooperation with farmers and food companies.[76]
  • 16% year-on-year growth in Haid’s Litopenaeus vannamei feed sales was reported for 2024, reflecting specialization for a major regional shrimp species.[76]
  • 16.0 million tons of feed were produced by Guilin Liyuan in 2025, with a poultry-focused operating profile in China.[18]

Supplier management in the feed industry

  • 700,000 tons was the combined capacity of Mowi’s two top modern feed mills, including a 60,000-ton expansion underway in 2024.[21]
  • 900,000 tons of outbound logistics volume were exported by Fufeng in 2024, linking feed-ingredient supply relationships to international markets.[55]
  • 49% of Nova Sea was owned by Mowi in 2024, representing a long-term upstream relationship relevant to salmon-feed demand and supply.[21]
  • 5 million tons exceeded Fufeng’s annual outbound logistics volume in 2024, including exports of feed-related industrial ingredients.[55]

Stakeholder management in the feed industry

  • 1 global dairy consortium, Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, included research institutions, dairy companies, producer organizations and NGOs with Nutreco participation.[23]
  • 5 sustainability ambitions were included in FEFAC’s Feed Sustainability Charter 2030 and reviewed in its 2024 progress report.[77]
  • 1 Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit was launched by AFIA and IFEEDER with industry partners in 2023.[20]
  • 2 sustainability reports were released by IFEEDER to support animal-feed and pet-food industry analysis and stakeholder communications in 2023.[20]
  • 2020 was the year Nutreco committed to science-based targets, linking feed-company strategy with stakeholder expectations on sustainability.[23]

Distribution channels in the feed industry

  • 6,069 feed mills operated in North America in 2024, compared with 6,252 in Europe.[8]
  • 8,211 feed mills operated in Asia-Pacific in 2024, the largest regional mill network recorded by Alltech.[8]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

Regional supply varies sharply, with Asia producing 559.3M mt in 2025 and Europe 274.1M mt, while poultry drove 42.7% of global feed tonnage in 2024.

The feed industry in Vietnam

  • 21.5 million metric tons of industrial animal feed were produced in Vietnam in 2024, up 3.4% from 2023.[78]
  • 269 feed mills in Vietnam had combined designed capacity of 43.2 million tons, with foreign-invested enterprises representing 33% of facilities.[78]
  • 80–85% of livestock feed consumption in Vietnam came from industrial feed in 2024; homemade and alternative feed accounted for the remainder.[78]
  • 27.5 million metric tons was Vietnam’s total feed demand in 2024, comprising 21.3 million tons of animal feed and 6.2 million tons of aquaculture feed.[78]

The feed industry in China

  • 315.031 million tonnes of industrial feed were produced in China in 2024, down 2.1% from the previous year.[79]
  • 97.542 million tonnes of meat-poultry feed were produced in China in 2024, up 2.6% from 2023.[79]
  • 12,620.8 billion yuan was China’s total feed-industry output value in 2024, down 10.0% from 2023.[79]
  • 143.913 million tonnes of pig feed were produced in China in 2024, down 3.9% year on year.[79]
  • 293.540 million tonnes of compound feed were produced in China in 2024, accounting for 93.2% of total industrial feed output.[79]

Key questions about the Feed Industry

What is the size of the global feed market by volume?
Global feed production reached approximately 1.44 billion metric tons in 2025. That compares with 1.400 billion metric tons in 2024.
How fast is feed production growing?
Global production growth in 2025 was 2.9% year over year, with production rising from about 1.400 billion metric tons in 2024 to about 1.44 billion metric tons in 2025.
Which companies lead the feed industry?
Thanks to Cargill’s nearly 18 million metric tons of feed annually across livestock, poultry and aquaculture feed, it fits buyers who need large-volume manufacturing; whereas Nutreco stands out through its Trouw Nutrition and Skretting animal-nutrition businesses spanning livestock nutrition and aquafeed.
How are technology and AI efforts showing up in the feed sector?
In 2026, 31% of surveyed food and animal-nutrition companies had completed at least one AI pilot or proof of concept. In the EU agri-food ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.
How is the industry structured in terms of manufacturing footprint?
Alltech’s 2026 survey covered 38,837 feed mills across 142 countries. In the EU27, compound feed manufacturing employed more than 100,000 people across approximately 3,200 production sites in 2022.
What compliance changes matter for feed-additive authorization in 2026?
In 2026, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1115 amended application requirements for feed-additive authorisations and the designation of target animal species and categories.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Feed Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/feed-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Feed Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/feed-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Feed Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/feed-industry-statistics.

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