Shortages in essential feed nutrients could threaten pig health, producer viability, and U.S. food security.
The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) has released a new set of species specific reports detailing how disruptions in global vitamin and amino acid supplies could affect four major U.S. livestock sectors: swine, broiler chickens, laying hens, and turkeys.
These analyses follow the organization’s broader Strategic Assessment on the Impact of Vitamin and Amino Acid Supply Chain Disruptions on U.S. Food Security, published in November 2025.
The newly released swine report break down how shortages of essential feed ingredients would influence animal health, performance, producer profitability, and the stability of the nation’s food supply.
Because vitamins and amino acids play critical roles in metabolism, growth, immune function, and reproduction, even modest supply chain disruptions can have outsized impacts on livestock operations.
Swine Industry Especially Vulnerable
The reports highlight that the U.S. swine industry is highly dependent on imported nutritional inputs, creating significant strategic vulnerabilities. Approximately 78% of the U.S. vitamin supply is sourced from China, leaving producers exposed to geopolitical, logistical, and production related disruptions.
China’s growing dominance in amino acid manufacturing, including lysine and tryptophan, mirrors the trend seen in vitamins. Amino acids are indispensable for efficient swine growth and feed conversion, meaning shortages can translate directly into:
- Reduced growth rates
- Poorer gain to feed ratios
- Increased time to market
- Higher mortality
- Lower pork output per unit of feed
- Rising production costs
These effects could ripple through the supply chain, potentially undermining U.S. food availability and affordability.
How Vitamins and Amino Acids Influence Swine Diets
To assess the depth of these risks, IFEEDER and its research partners formulated representative industry diets (RIDs) for both market hogs and sows.
Key dependencies identified:
- Market hogs rely heavily on supplemental lysine, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
- Sows require supplemental vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and multiple B vitamins to support reproduction, lactation, and overall herd health.
While tryptophan is sometimes added to support growth, it was not included in the baseline RIDs for this assessment.
Nutritionists and industry experts were consulted to quantify how performance metrics—such as gain to feed ratio, pigs born alive, and mortality—would be affected under various levels of nutrient restriction. The reports note that vitamin B deficiencies and lysine shortages provide a clear illustration of how quickly key performance indicators can deteriorate when nutrient availability drops.
Global Vitamin A Supply:
A Case Study in Vulnerability Vitamin A production is just one example cited in the IFEEDER report, revealing a tightly concentrated global supply chain.
- Global production capacity (2023): 27,500 MT
- Actual global supply (2023): 14,800 MT
- China’s share of production: 53%
- EU share: 47%
- Global demand (2023): 15,100 MT
This low capacity utilization rate signals ongoing volatility in the market.
U.S. vitamin A imports have been dominated by China, with annual totals ranging from 821 MT (2023) to 1,418 MT (2021). In 2024, U.S. imports from China stood at 1,260 MT, while Switzerland has served as a distant second tier supplier.
As demand continues to rise, the report warns that any further tightening of supply could significantly hinder swine production capabilities.
Industry Leaders Stress Need for Resilience
“These species-specific analyses help translate the broader findings of the strategic assessment into real-world implications for individual livestock sectors,” said Lara Moody, IFEEDER executive director.
“Understanding the unique vulnerabilities and consequences for each species is critical to strengthening supply chain resilience and protecting U.S. food security.”
Experts involved in the research emphasized that vitamin and amino acid markets remain unpredictable, and many essential nutrients are currently priced at or near historic lows due to continued production expansion in China. While low prices benefit producers in the short term, they can mask longer term risks tied to concentrated global supply.
The complete set of findings can be found at www.ifeeder.org.
Photo Credit: Pexels - Tara Winstead