Alltech Report Highlights Rise in Feed Output

Apr 30, 2025
By Farms.com

Animal Feed Production Climbs Despite Global Disease and Price Issues

The 2025 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook has revealed a 1.2% increase in global feed production, marking a positive shift after a flat 2023. Production grew to 1.396 billion metric tons, according to data gathered from 142 countries and over 28,000 feed mills.

This growth highlights how the livestock industry has adapted to challenges like highly pathogenic avian influenza, shifting climates, and market uncertainties. China, the U.S., Brazil, and India led production, with the top 10 countries making up over 65% of total output.

Poultry feed continued to dominate, with broiler feed reaching 385.4 million metric tons. The rise was supported by meat affordability in Asia and Latin America. Layer feed also grew slightly despite setbacks from disease and oversupply in some regions.

Pig feed production declined by 0.6%. Recovery was mixed, with gains in Europe and Latin America but declines elsewhere. Uncertainty remains due to the lingering effects of African swine fever.

Dairy feed grew by 3.2% to 165.5 million metric tons, supported by strong consumer demand and favorable milk prices. Growth was steady in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, but China’s falling farmgate prices may limit future gains.

Beef feed production rose 1.8%, reflecting higher export demand and limited forage. North and Latin America saw the largest gains.

“These insights serve as a barometer for the overall livestock industry, highlighting key trends across species, regional challenges and opportunities for growth,” said the report.

Despite global difficulties, the livestock feed sector showed impressive resilience and potential for continued growth in 2025. For complete insights and interactive maps, visit: alltech.com/agri-food-outlook

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.