International feed production increased by three percent last year to a record 1.1 billion metric tons (MT), with aquaculture feed output growing by a strong four percent to a total of 40.1 million MT, a new report found.
The “2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey,” the eighth edition of the annual study covering some 30,000 feed plants in 144 countries, highlights that two years ago, the feed industry crossed the threshold of one billion MT and said that the industry is expected to maintain its upward trajectory as the world population continues to grow.
The middle class, in particular, is showing its interest in protein consumption, states the report.
Overall, the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to several of the top 10 feed-producing countries – including China, India, and Japan – supplied the most feed in 2018 at 394.9 million MT, up three percent on the previous year. This was followed by Europe (277.1 million MT, up four percent) and North America (198.9 million MT, up two percent). Africa, though, was the fastest-growing region, with its 40.6 million MT representing a five percent jump on its 2017 total.
Aquaculture’s growth was primarily attributed to five percent production increases in both the Asia-Pacific and European regions, which reached 28.5 million MT and four million MT, respectively.
Vietnam, India, and Indonesia brought a combined additional 1.58 million MT of feed to the Asia-Pacific region. Of this, Vietnam’s aquafeed production increased by almost one million MT. The region’s leader, China, saw an increase of one percent over 2017.
The primary European leaders either experienced strong growth or remained relatively flat. Those that did grow included Norway and Turkey, both at seven percent, as well as Spain at a substantial 31 percent.
Norway continued to be Europe’s largest producer of aquafeed, providing around 45 percent of the region’s total.
The other four global regions (North America, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa) remained relatively flat or saw only a one percent increase or decrease in their aquafeed production. North America produced 1.7 million MT of feed, Latin America 3.9 million MT, the Middle East 500,000 MT, and Africa 1.5 million MT.
With 15.7 million MT, China is by far the world’s biggest aquafeed producer, followed by Vietnam (3.9 million MT), India (2.1 million MT), and Norway (1.8 million MT).
