INTERVIEW FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2025 83 to support a livestock population that includes 90 million cattle, 75 million hogs, and over 9 billion chickens. The U.S. isn’t just feeding its own people—it’s a major exporter of meat, dairy, and eggs to the world. That kind of volume requires a highly efficient and well-coordinated supply chain. What makes the U.S. unique is how integrated everything is. Our grain producers, feed mills, and livestock farmers work together seamlessly. The Midwest, for example, produces an abundance of corn and soybeans—the backbone of animal nutrition—which is processed and distributed across the country using a sophisticated logistics network of rail, trucks, and river barges. This keeps costs competitive and ensures a steady supply of high-quality feed. Another key factor is regulation and safety. Unlike other markets where feed safety is still catching up, we have some of the strictest standards in the world. The FDA and USDA, along with industry groups, ensure that everything from ingredient sourcing to final feed formulations meets high safety and quality standards. This protects not just animal health but also the food supply for consumers. Then there’s innovation. The U.S. has always been at the forefront of feed science, using data analytics, AI-driven feed formulation, probiotics, and alternative proteins to make livestock more efficient and sustainable. Precision nutrition and automation help optimize what animals eat, reducing waste and improving productivity. But here’s the challenge: We’re still too dependent on imports for critical feed additives, especially from China. While we excel in producing bulk ingredients like corn and soybean meal, we rely on China for 70-90% of key vitamins and amino acids used in feed. At the end of the day, the strength of the U.S. feed and livestock sector comes down to efficiency, innovation, and a strong regulatory foundation. But to maintain that position, we need to focus on securing our supply chain and reducing reliance on foreign inputs—something I believe will be a major focus in the coming years. Could you give us some information about livestock and feed production in your country? What is the number of animals by species and the amount of industrial feed (compound feed) production on an annual or monthly basis? Of course. The U.S. livestock and feed sector is one of the largest and most sophisticated in the world. We produce an enormous volume of compound feed— over 240 million metric tons annually—to support a livestock population that’s just as impressive. Here’s a breakdown of the major livestock numbers: cattle (beef & dairy) is ~90 million head, hogs are ~75 million head, broiler chickens is ~9.2 billion birds per year, and layers (egg production) is ~325 million birds, with turkeys being ~220 million. Aquaculture & other species are a growing segment, with significant feed demand. Now, if you look at where all that feed goes, it breaks down roughly like this: Cattle feed is ~65 million metric tons, swine feed is ~50 million metric tons, poultry feed (broilers & layers) is ~90 million metric tons, and pet food being ~10 million metric tons. The remainder is the other (aquaculture, specialty livestock, horses, etc.)
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