China Per-Capita Grain Consumption Drops to 200 kg as Feed Demand Rises, 2021-2025

From 2021 to 2025, national per-capita grain consumption fell from 215.8 kg to about 200 kg, while per-capita consumption of meat, eggs, and aquatic products rose from 68.5 kg, 24.1 kg, and 47.7 kg to 75.1 kg, 24.8 kg, and 56.6 kg respectively. This shift has driven growth in feed industry demand, with the proportion of grain used for feed now far exceeding that used for food and industrial purposes. Animal products such as meat, eggs, and milk are converted from feed grains including corn and soybeans, with roughly 2 kg of feed producing 1 kg of chicken, 3 kg of feed producing 1 kg of pork, and 7 to 8 kg of feed producing 1 kg of beef. This is also why beef prices are typically higher than pork prices, which in turn are higher than chicken prices.

Feed is classified into two types by nutritional value: one mainly provides energy, such as corn; the other mainly provides protein, such as soybeans (soybean meal). The feed industry connects crop farming and livestock breeding, serving both as a major grain consumer and the foundation of livestock production. The feed sector has now formed a large industry with 10,000 enterprises and output value exceeding RMB 1 trillion, occupying an important position in the national economy.

Feed grain supply security faces multiple challenges. In recent years, supply has been insufficient, import dependence is relatively high, pricing power is not fully in domestic hands, and feed grain price volatility has amplified volatility in livestock product prices. Changes in farming models have also affected feed demand structure. As scattered household farming gradually exits, agricultural waste such as straw and kitchen waste can no longer be used for livestock and poultry farming, leading to rapid growth in industrial feed demand and driving demand for standardized, commercialized feed grains.

Forage is an important component of feed. China's feed raw materials are mainly corn and soybeans, and increasing forage supply can reduce the consumption of concentrated feed in cattle and sheep farming. High-quality forage has multiple functions including ecological benefits. Planting salt-tolerant forage on saline-alkali land can increase supply and improve soil, and in some regions developing artificial grassland can reduce soil erosion and curb grassland degradation. The current forage industry faces problems including insufficient development and utilization of germplasm resources, and high external dependence on key technologies and equipment such as grass seeds and forage machinery.