China's Feed Industry Association has approved release of new swine and poultry feed standards calling for reduced protein content. The association described the standards as a "milestone" that will improve feed efficiency, relieve stress on the environment, and reduce China's longstanding reliance on imported protein materials for feed.
At the October 26 meeting announcing the release, the association said current high rates of inclusion of soybean meal and other protein in livestock feed reduce efficiency and stress animals' metabolism. Low absorption rates means large amounts of nutrients are excreted in waste, becoming a major rural environmental problem.
The association's new standards for feeder pigs, finishing hogs, layer hens and broiler chickens add upper limits on protein and phosphorus, reduce lower limits on protein inclusion, allow more synthetic amino acids, and reclassify animal growth stages in comparison with national standards published in 2008. The association claims that adding amino acids while reducing protein intake will not affect the animal's growth rate or time on feed.
According to the association, the new standard reduces the proportion of protein in pig feed by 1.5 percentage points and 1 percentage point for broiler feed, on average. The amount of protein needed to produce 1 kilogram of pork is reduced from .45 kg to .39 kg, a 13% reduction. The new standard could reduce soybean meal needs by 11 million metric tons annually, the association claimed--equal to a 14-mmt reduction in soybean needs.
These standards are recommendations issued by the association, a semi-governmental organization that was part of the Ministry of Agriculture until the 1990s. They will not necessarily be adopted immediately by all feed mills and producers, although there will likely be political pressure to do so as a measure to avoid importing U.S. soybeans over the next three months.
At the October 26 meeting announcing the release, the association said current high rates of inclusion of soybean meal and other protein in livestock feed reduce efficiency and stress animals' metabolism. Low absorption rates means large amounts of nutrients are excreted in waste, becoming a major rural environmental problem.
The association's new standards for feeder pigs, finishing hogs, layer hens and broiler chickens add upper limits on protein and phosphorus, reduce lower limits on protein inclusion, allow more synthetic amino acids, and reclassify animal growth stages in comparison with national standards published in 2008. The association claims that adding amino acids while reducing protein intake will not affect the animal's growth rate or time on feed.
According to the association, the new standard reduces the proportion of protein in pig feed by 1.5 percentage points and 1 percentage point for broiler feed, on average. The amount of protein needed to produce 1 kilogram of pork is reduced from .45 kg to .39 kg, a 13% reduction. The new standard could reduce soybean meal needs by 11 million metric tons annually, the association claimed--equal to a 14-mmt reduction in soybean needs.
These standards are recommendations issued by the association, a semi-governmental organization that was part of the Ministry of Agriculture until the 1990s. They will not necessarily be adopted immediately by all feed mills and producers, although there will likely be political pressure to do so as a measure to avoid importing U.S. soybeans over the next three months.
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