China to increase animal feed output by 2020

China plans to increase its animal feed output to 220 million tons by 2020, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s 13th five-year plan for 2016-20.

Gary Tamin | FreeImages
Gary Tamin | FreeImages

China plans to increase its animal feed output to 220 million tons by 2020, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s 13th five-year plan for 2016-20.

According to Alltech’s Global Feed Survey from 2015, China was the world’s No. 1 producer of animal feed in 2015, with 179.93 million metric tons. But, according to China’s Department of Animal Production, the country’s feed production was more than 200 million tons in 2015.

Pig industry pushes up feed production

The 13th five-year plan says China’s animal feed industry has grown 23.5 percent since 2010. It says China’s pig feed output was 83.44 million tons, up 40.3 percent from 2010. The plan’s goal is to increase pig feed output to 94 million tons by 2020.

In October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) said growth in China’s swine and poultry sectors are forecast to push the country’s imports of soybeans in the 2016-17 marketing year up to 86.0 million metric tons, which would be a record.

In August, China’s National Development and Reform Commission set a target for total oilseed production – soybean, rapeseed, peanut and camellia – at 59.8 million metric tons by 2020. Up from 45.4 million metric tons in 2014, the increase was to be achieved by greater acreage and higher yields.

Also according to Alltech, in 2015, China led global aquaculture feed production with 17.3 million tons at an average cost per finisher diet of $850.

Fewer number of feed manufacturers

While China plans to increase feed production, it also is looking to decrease the number of feed manufacturers because of the inefficiency and pollution levels by many small producers. About 3,000 plants are expected to be closed in the next five years. The country looks to increase the number of feed manufacturers win annual output of at least 1 million tons.

China’s animal feed additives market has also grown in recent years, and the country has come to rely less on methionine imports, with the opening of two big methionine plants, by Adisseo and Unisplendour.

The country also looks to rely less on protein feed additives, which are mostly imported, and use more synthetic amino acids.

China’s 13th five-year plan also says the country will promote the industrialization of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant cotton and corn. However, the process to obtain a license to commercially produce GM crops in China is slow and daunting.

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