At 21.7 million metric tons (mmt), feed production in Germany in the 2023 calendar year was around 360,000 metric tons (mt) or 1.6% less than in the previous 12 months.
This is according to the latest figures from the German animal feed association, DVT.
Presenting the statistics last week, DVT President Cord Schiplage said the year-on-year contraction represents a partial easing in the long-term contraction in the German feed sector.
Figures from the European Feed Manufacturers’ Association FEFAC put the volume of feed produced in Germany in 2022 at just under 22.2 mmt. This was 5.8% lower than the previous year.
For the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), total feed production in 2022 at just over 147.2 mmt represented a year-on-year reduction of 3.1%.
Pig feed volume down; higher sales for poultry, cattle
The decline in total national feed output is attributed by Schiplage mainly to reduced sales of pig feeds. For this segment, production was down approximately 500,000 mt or 5.8% to 8 mmt for 2023.
Fattening pig numbers in the November census had fallen significantly year-on-year by as much as 11.6%, he said. Overall in 2023, the country’s swine population contracted by 1.4% to 9.6 million.
In contrast, feed production in Germany expanded in 2023 for the other main market segments.
For cattle, output volume was up around 100,000 mt for the year to 6.5 mmt, while there was an 80,000 mt increase in poultry feed production to 6.3 mmt.
Other trends in German feed production
In terms of revenue, DVT figures also indicate a drop in the value of feed sales in 2023 to EUR9.4 billion (US$10.2 billion). This compares with EUR10.5 billion for the previous year.
According to Schiplage, the increased availability of feed ingredients on global markets last year drove the decline in sales value — along with price and competitive pressures. During the comparative period of 2022, he said, raw material and energy costs had been exceptionally high.
In 2023, there were 276 compound feed companies in Germany, according to DVT. This was five fewer than 12 months previously.
There were some regional variations in production volumes in 2023. Northern Germany continues to be the region where most of the nation’s feed is produced. At 15.6 mmt last year, however, the volume from the northern states was 1.9% lower than in 2022, while the southern region accounted for almost 1% more at 2.9 mmt.
DVT recorded a negligible year-on-year reduction for the volume of mineral feed produced in Germany in 2023.
Provisional figures for 2023 from FEFAC points to a further reduction in compound feed production in the EU-27 by 2% to 144.3 mmt.
