Europe Animal Feed Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

Europe Animal Feed Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The European animal feed market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.64% over the forecast period to reach US$85,817.567 million by 2029, from an initial market size of US$71,493.751 million in 2022.

The market growth is attributed to the growing meat consumption along with the rising demand for animal-based products in the region coupled with favorable investments in livestock farming. The EU Poultry meat production was estimated to be 13,490 ('000) tonnes in 2023, which will increase to 13,647 in 2024 ('000) tonnes, according to, DG AGRI EU Agricultural Outlook.

It is driven by government policies such as the European Common Agricultural Policy, including the Spanish agricultural policy. Spain's policy reflects sustainable development of rural, agricultural, and food areas to ensure the society's access to adequate nutrition through a vibrant rural economy. Along with that, the EU is also a major, consumer of poultry meat, which is held to be, 12,505 ('000) tonnes in 2023 which is expected to increase to 12,605 in 2024 ('000) tonnes.

The vital role played by industrial livestock production in meeting the nutritional requirements of human beings has led to the proliferation of industrial livestock farms across the region and augmented the sales of animal feeds. Thus, this increase in the production of industrial livestock is likely to drive the animal feed demand across the region.

Geographically, the demand for meat protein has been rising in countries like Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with rapid economic activity in the region. This increased demand for meat protein is expected to aid in the development of the meat industry, thereby accelerating the demand for nutritious animal feed, which is anticipated to provide steady growth to the regional market.

Moreover, the prospering trade between the European countries is expected to benefit the overall market. Exports play a significant role in driving Spain's animal feed industry towards other European countries. The large meat export market of Spain primarily caters to consumers in Germany, France, Italy, and Portugal.

Rising meat demand is anticipated to propel market growth.

Due to meat consumption and production in the region, the producers have also been focusing on production methods to meet consumer demand. To meet this rising meat consumption, the need for meat production increased, thus propelling an increase in demand for animal feeds as well.

Europe is a major contributor of pig meat in the world with 18% of the world's production of pigmeat in the year 2022. With the 22,277('000) tonnes product weight added to the global production, according to FAO. EU main players are Spain with 24% of the EU production and 4852 ('000) tonnes product weight, followed by Germany with 20% of the production share and 4180 ('000) tonnes product weight. France is another significant player with a 10 % production share and 2062 ('000) tonnes of product weight.

In addition, the increase in meat consumption can be attributed to the rising demand for meat protein in Europe which has led to increased meat production in the region. This is driving the demand for animal feed over the forecast period. Apart from improving nutritional value animal feed has also been gaining importance for its role in improving meat quality and thus aiding to increased consumption of meat in the region.

The poultry segment is expected to grow

The demand for poultry feed is increasing due to a surge in nutritional requirements for chickens and broilers that support their overall performance, productivity, and gut health and improve immunity. Furthermore, as per the European Food Safety Authority, an increase in poultry diseases such as avian influenza in Europe reported a total of 2,467 outbreaks, which is increasing the demand for healthy nutritional feed for poultry. Furthermore, feed additives for chickens and broilers are increasingly in demand in the region. Moreover, insects’ proteins are witnessing an increase in poultry feed. Additionally, The European Union authorized the use of animal feed derived from insects in poultry feed in August 2021.

Furthermore, the insect-derived protein additives are expected to boost the immune system in chickens as they contain a nutritious amino acid composition. In addition, it reduces costs and provides a greater conversion ratio to farmers. Some of the insects used in the poultry feed, such as black soldier fly larvae, which are an essential source of protein for chickens and broilers, use of mealworms, houseflies, grasshoppers, and others further increase the egg production and high conversion ratio and reduce the carbon footprint.

Furthermore, investments in poultry feed mills by companies and acquisitions by companies are further boosting the poultry feed market. For instance, AB Agri invested in building a poultry feed mill in the East of England in the UK in February 2021. The investment aimed to cater to the need for more protein products for more productivity, and improved animal feed quality, reliability, and efficiency. Moreover, ForFarmers and 2Agriculture, leading suppliers of poultry feed, merged in July 2022 to serve their increasing customer base and enhance their feed portfolio in the poultry sector.

Furthermore, supermarket chain Wm Morrison replaced soya-based chicken feed with insect-based chicken feed in December 2021 for the production of carbon-neutral free-range eggs and to reduce CO2 emissions from its agricultural supply chains. Due to such factors, poultry feed is witnessing increased demand in the European region. increased demand in the European region.

The market is projected to grow in the European wheat-based animal feed segment

European Union wheat area in the years 2022 and 2023 is expected to witness a decline of 0.5%, on the other hand, the French and Spanish wheat growers planted less wheat, (especially in France to the benefit of rapeseed), whereas the producers in Denmark, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary increased their wheat plantings which led to an overall stable wheat area in the EU. The wheat production by the European Union mostly consists of winter wheat, which was already planted in the fall of 2021, especially for the harvest in the summer of 2022, and only to a much lesser extent spring wheat.

As per the United States Department of Agriculture, the European Union wheat production is forecast to decrease by 2.2 percent to 135.3 M metric tons in the year 2021 to 2022, mainly which will be driven by the smear expected production in France, Bulgaria, Spain, Romania, and even Hungary, not being offset by the higher crop expectations in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Baltic Countries, and Sweden. Weather conditions, on the other hand, up to the harvest, can still play a significant role in final production volumes. Such factors will directly impact the wheat-based animal feed production in the region.

Wheat is one of the cereals with the highest protein content available for animal feed, it has a high protein value and combined with a high energy value makes wheat a good alternative for feeding ruminants. The hike in wheat prices since the beginning of 2021 is enhanced by the conflict in Ukraine which will have a direct consequence on animal feed manufacturers.

According to the EU representative, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in an aggravation that escalated the grain prices that started in the summer of 2020. In the second half of 2021 and 2022, both corn and wheat resulted in a loss of competitiveness against barley, which is regarded as the cheapest of internationally traded feed grains. According to FEFAC's market outlook for 2022, the EU's feed manufacturers will scale back their operations as a result of rising feed costs, weaker consumer demand, and avian influenza outbreaks that are spreading to more nations.

The United Kingdom's animal feed market is set to accelerate

The UK animal feed market is being propelled by rising demand for high-quality livestock products as populations rise and consumer preferences shift. The regulatory emphasis on animal welfare and food safety requirements encourages innovation in feed formulations and manufacturing methods. Furthermore, sustainability considerations drive the use of ecologically friendly and ethically obtained feed ingredients.

Increased UK grain production might help the European animal feed industry. This increase in supply may stabilise or lower prices, helping livestock farmers. Reduced reliance on imports may also improve regional food security. For instance, as per the USDA, the production of barley in UK increased from 4062 thousand million tonnes in 2022/23 to 4,200 thousand tonnes on the year 2023/24.

Furthermore, higher direct feed costs encourage investment in UK grain production and other feed sources, promoting agricultural innovation and self-sufficiency. Increased efficiency in feed manufacturing methods and research into sustainable formulations are promoted, which improves environmental stewardship. This promotes long-term resilience and competitiveness in the UK animal feed market.

Furthermore, the benefits to wildlife would extend beyond the UK. Reducing the nation’s reliance on imported soymeal would reduce pressure on 850,000 acres of land in other countries that produce soy for UK animal feed. Reducing deforestation, arable land area, and livestock populations would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, directly addressing 14.5% of world emissions from livestock.

Besides that, technological advances in feed processing improve efficiency and production. Brexit-related changes in trade policies and agricultural subsidies alter the market environment. These factors influence the dynamics of the UK animal feed market, encouraging innovation and adaptability in the business.

Market players in the UK animal feed sector use a variety of techniques to handle volatile market conditions and fulfil changing customer needs. Key measures include diversifying feed formulas to meet the demands of various livestock, utilising technology for precision nutrition and feed efficiency, and strengthening supply chain resilience through strategic alliances and vertical integration.

For instance, UFAC-UK, an animal supplement maker and supplier, has completed a significant update to its manufacturing plant in Newmarket, Suffolk, England, which will improve production efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint via the use of sophisticated control technologies.

Furthermore, in December 2023, ADM a worldwide leader in human and animal nutrition, announced that it has agreed to acquire FDL, a leading creator and producer of premium flavour and functional ingredient solutions located in the United Kingdom.

Moreover, sustainability activities like sourcing locally produced products and decreasing environmental effects are becoming increasingly important in order to fit with customer tastes and regulatory requirements. In addition, market participants prioritise constant innovation, market intelligence, and customer interaction to remain competitive and drive development in this area of the agri-food industry.

Besides that, government activities in the UK's animal feed business are aimed at encouraging sustainability, enforcing safety standards, and supporting local agricultural markets. This involves sponsoring research into breakthrough feed technology, enforcing laws to ensure quality and animal health, and encouraging sustainable agricultural methods to improve environmental stewardship.

Key Players:

Cargill Incorporated offers a comprehensive portfolio of animal nutrition for the European market, inclusive of EWOS, Purina, and Provimi, among others.
Alltech Inc. through its well-established regional offices and distribution centers spread across major EU nations inclusive of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, and Bulgaria among others has enabled it to mark its name in the European feed market.
Kemin Industries' animal nutrition business is spread across France, Germany, and Portugal among other EU countries. The company’s feed products are used for dairy, and poultry, among other livestock.

Segmentation:

By Type:

Fodder & Forage
Compound Feed
By Livestock
Pork
Aquatic Animal
Cattle
Poultry
Others
By Raw Material
Soya
Corn
Wheat
Others
By Geography
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Others