Animal Feed

Feed, also called animal feed, food grown or developed for livestock and poultry. Modern feeds are produced by carefully selecting and blending ingredients to provide highly nutritional diets that both maintain the health of the animals and increase the quality of such end products as meat, milk, or eggs. Ongoing improvements in animal diets have resulted from research, experimentation, and chemical analysis by agricultural scientists.

Animals in general require the same nutrients as humans. Some feeds, such as pasture grasses, hay and silage crops, and certain cereal grains, are grown specifically for animals. Other feeds, such as sugar beet pulp, brewers’ grains, and pineapple bran, are by-products that remain after a food crop has been processed for human use. Surplus food crops, such as Wheat other cereals, fruits, vegetables, and roots, may also be fed to animals.

History does not record when dried roughage or other stored feeds were first given to animals. Most early records refer to nomadic peoples who, with their herds and flocks, followed the natural feed supplies. When animals were domesticated and used for work in crop production, some of the residues were doubtless fed to them.

The first scientific effort to evaluate feeds for animals on a comparative basis was probably made in 1809 by the German agriculturist Albrecht von Thaer, who developed “hay values” as measures of the nutritive value of feeds. Tables of the value of feeds and of the requirements of animals in Germany followed and were later used in other countries.

Preservation of green forages such as beet leaves and corn (maize) plants by packing them in pits in the earth has long been practiced in northern Europe. The idea of making silage as a means of preserving and utilizing more of the corn plant was gradually developed in Europe and was taken from France to the United States in the 1870s. When the mature, dried corn plant was fed to cattle in the winter, much of the coarse stem was wasted, but when it was chopped and ensiled (made into silage), everything was eaten. During the 20th century, concrete bunker silos for storage of silage became a common sight in many rural areas worldwide.

The basic nutrients that animals require for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and good health include carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, and water. The energy needed for growth and activity is derived primarily from carbohydrates and fats. Protein will also supply energy, particularly if carbohydrate and fat intake is inadequate or if protein intake exceeds the needs of the body. Animals need a source of energy to sustain life processes within the body and for muscular activity. When the energy intake of an animal exceeds its requirements, the surplus is stored as body fat, which can be utilized later as a source of energy if less food becomes available.

Animal feeds are classified as follows: (1) concentrates, high in energy value, including fat, cereal grains and their by-products (barley, corn, oats, rye, wheat), high-protein oil meals or cakes (soybean, canola, cottonseed, peanut [groundnut]), and by-products from processing of sugar beets, sugarcane, animals, and fish, and (2) roughages, including pasture grasses, hays, silage, root crops, straw, and stover (cornstalks).

 The animal feed is produced in more than 130 countries globally. Different species are reared across these countries for various purposes including meat, milk, protein etc. Feed is considered to be a major component of the animal rearing as it adds significant cost to the production system. Type of feed production varies across various regions and largely depends on the animal population and their economic importance in the region. Feed requirement of the animals also vary with the purpose of rearing it, including meat, egg and milk production. The industry makes a significant contribution to the economic and nutritional well being of millions of people globally. Increase in consumption of animal meat, growing demand for other livestock products and an increase in oilseed production factors are driving the global animal feed industry. The global production of animal feed tonnage touched to  1.103 billion

 MT in 2018. The top 10 major countries contributing to 62% of global production of animal feed as on 2018 is graphically presented below in the exhibit. China topped the list as the leading producer of feed with 187.2 million MT followed by USA and Brazil at 169.6 million MT and 68.93 million MT respectively and then Spain. India ranked sixth in the list with the contribution of 29.43 million MT accounting for 3% of global feed production. ( Altech Global Feed Survey)

India is one of the largest and fastest growing compound feed markets in the world. Feed manufacturing on a commercial and scientific basis started around 1965 in India with the setting up of medium-sized feed plants in northern and western India. Feed was produced mainly to cater to the needs of dairy cattle. The poultry sector was not developed at that time and was restricted to backyard production, with the desi (or native bird) kept mainly for the production of eggs. The Indian feed industry is undergoing a very exciting phase of growth for the next decade. Indian feed industry is presently growing at a CAGR of 8 percent. Poultry, aqua and dairy industry occupy the major share in overall feed demand. While the potential feed requirement is huge and stands at around 96 million tonnes, only 20.3 million tonnes was produced during 2012-13.

There is a huge scope for the growth in the sector, with industry becoming more organized. With this growth rate India will soon become the largest feed market in the coming years. The feed industry requirements that are met with the compound feed are only 11 percent for cattle, 14 percent for aqua feed and 55 percent for poultry feed.

The poultry industry has grown at an annual growth rate of 8 percent from 2002 to around 2013. The seafood sector is also witnessing a growth of 6 percent annually in production of aquaculture.

Simultaneously, Indian dairy sector has also been growing at a rate of 4 percent annually. Growth in these sectors has pushed up the demand for compound feed by 50 percent. India’s demand for compound feed is expected to rise 28 million tonnes by 2017-18.