context: The PRC’s feed industry is moving into a new phase as growth shifts away from expanding output towards improving efficiency and value creation. Rising pressure on costs, changing livestock production and demand for more sustainable farming are pushing companies to develop stronger technical capabilities and service models. Southern China, with its resource advantages and diverse farming base, is looking for a more differentiated path.
The PRC’s feed industry has moved beyond a stage focused mainly on expanding output said Wang Zongli 王宗礼 China Feed Industry Association president at the fourth Southern Animal Nutrition Development Forum. Future growth will depend more on innovation, efficiency and solving practical production challenges.
For feed companies in southern China, Wang said the priority should not be competing only on large-scale processing of bulk raw materials. Instead, companies should focus on issues such as protein supply, alternative feed sources, reducing losses and improving nutritional efficiency.
The PRC produced 230 million tonnes of industrial feed in the first eight months of 2026, up 3.6 percent y-o-y. However, behind the overall growth, competition within the sector is becoming more divided. As pig, poultry and aquaculture farming become more specialised and larger in scale, feed companies are moving beyond selling products towards providing precision nutrition solutions and broader farming services.
Wang said southern China has several advantages for developing a more differentiated feed industry. The region has favourable climate conditions and abundant agricultural resources, including crop by-products and specialised raw materials, creating opportunities to develop more diverse feed sources. Its wide range of farming activities, including pigs, poultry, aquaculture and other livestock sectors, also creates demand for more targeted nutrition solutions.
Southern companies have also been early adopters in areas such as reducing antibiotic use, lowering emissions and improving animal nutrition under hot and humid conditions. At the same time, the region’s proximity to ASEAN provides opportunities for agricultural technology cooperation and overseas expansion.
Looking ahead, southern feed companies are expected to focus more on improving resource efficiency and strengthening technical capabilities. Key areas include developing locally available feed resources, creating nutrition solutions suited to regional conditions, promoting crop–livestock integration and expanding into overseas markets.
Meanwhile, cooperation between research institutions, companies and producers is becoming increasingly important. Wang said the Southern Animal Nutrition Development Forum should continue to focus on real industry challenges, help move research results into production, and strengthen cooperation between different regions.
As the feed industry enters a higher-quality growth phase, competitive advantage will increasingly depend on technology, resource integration and service capacity. For southern companies, future growth will come less from simply increasing production scale and more from solving specific challenges across modern agriculture.