According to data from the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC), industrial compound feed production in the EU27 is projected to rise slightly by 0.50% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching 147 million tons.

Key drivers for the market in 2024 include economic uncertainty, regulatory changes, and ongoing environmental and animal disease impacts. These factors will continue to shape production dynamics across the EU, affecting different animal feed sectors in varied ways.

Poultry feed production shows moderate growth, with an expected increase of 1.3%. This recovery follows a challenging 2023, driven by a rebound in poultry production in key member states such as France, Spain, and Portugal, which began recovering from the impacts of avian influenza last year. However, poultry production in Hungary and Italy continues to suffer from continued H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks.

The pig feed sector remains under pressure but is showing signs of stabilization compared to last year, in particular modest recovery is anticipated in Ireland (+3%), Spain (+5%), and Poland (+1.9%). However, key challenges persist due to an overall decline in pig populations in EU27 due to ongoing economic and animal disease-related pressures, in particular from African swine fever (ASF). In addition, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands face heightened policy pressure to reduce farm emissions or further downscale animal husbandry, creating significant uncertainty for the sector.

EU cattle feed production is expected to remain relatively steady, with minor fluctuations depending on regional conditions linked to the availability of roughage.