Japan Animal Feed Market Overview, 2029

The animal feed market in Japan is a thriving and essential sector within the country's agricultural landscape. As a nation with a strong emphasis on food safety, quality, and advanced agricultural practices, Japan's animal feed industry plays a vital role in supporting the growth and productivity of its livestock sector. The industry is characterized by its commitment to food safety, advanced technology, innovation, and sustainable practices. Japan's stringent regulations, quality control measures, and focus on traceability ensure the integrity and safety of feed products throughout the supply chain. With a strong emphasis on research and development, collaboration with farmers, and an unwavering dedication to quality, the animal feed market in Japan is poised for continued growth, contributing to the overall success and sustainability of the country's livestock industry. Poultry feed by livestock type is highest in demand, driven by the demand for poultry meat products by consumers. The rising population further boosts the demand for poultry meat, but the rising feed prices hamper the market's growth. Since poultry meat is the cheapest form of meat available, consumers' consumption is high. Increased demand for organic feed and industrial livestock production further augments the market's growth.

According to the research report "Japan Animal Feed Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the Japan Animal Feed market is expected to reach a market size of more than USD 14 Billion by 2029. The demand for meat, dairy, eggs, and aquaculture products continues to rise in Japan due to population growth, changing dietary preferences, and increasing consumer awareness of the importance of protein-rich diets. The growing livestock sector drives the need for high-quality animal feed to support the nutrition, health, and productivity of livestock. The Japan animal feed industry embraces advanced technologies and innovation to optimize feed formulations, improve feed production processes, and enhance feed quality control. Automation, precision feeding systems, and computerized management systems contribute to the efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability of feed manufacturing. Aqua feed farming is increasingly being commercialised with its demands, resulting in an increased demand for feed to raise them. On the other hand, cattle feed remains with more market share as it is the most demanded meat by consumers. Animal supplements are expected to be in demand over the forecast period as the animals are deprived of vitamins and minerals from the feed they are fed. Plant-based sources remain the main source of protein for animal feed as they provide a range of benefits for both the animals as well as feed manufacturers.

The Japan animal feed market is characterized by distinct segments based on livestock types, including Cattle Feed, Poultry Feed, Pig Feed, Aqua Feed, and Others. Poultry Feed is the leading segment, driven by the high demand for chicken and egg products, which are staples in the Japanese diet. This segment emphasizes nutritional formulations that enhance growth rates and overall health in poultry. Following closely is Cattle Feed, which supports both beef and dairy production. The focus here is on optimizing feed efficiency to improve milk yield and meat quality, particularly for premium beef such as Wagyu. Pig Feed also plays a crucial role in the market, reflecting Japan's significant pork consumption. However, this segment faces challenges due to fluctuating livestock numbers and market dynamics. The Aqua Feed segment is rapidly growing, spurred by increasing consumer interest in seafood and aquaculture practices. This includes specialized feeds for various aquatic species, ensuring their health and growth.

Animal feed pellets offer superior feed efficiency compared to traditional feed forms. The compact and uniform nature of pellets allows for better digestion and nutrient utilization by animals. This driver is particularly relevant in Japan, where optimizing feed efficiency is crucial to meet the nutritional needs of livestock and improve production efficiency. Pelleted feed provides practical advantages in terms of handling and storage. The pellets are compact, consistent in size, and less prone to spoilage or contamination. This driver is significant in Japan, where efficient storage and management of feed are essential due to limited storage space and the need to minimize feed wastage. Animal feed Pellets are made from corn, bean pulp, straw, rice husk, and other cereals and grains for different animals. They have comprehensive nutrition, improve digestibility of feed, decrease picky eaters of animals and are easy to store and transport. The pellets often contain grease as they provide oxidation and hydrolysis. Oxidation helps to convert unsaturated fats into saturated fats when the feed pellets have improper fats as it is easy to hydrolyse. The quality of pellets can be defined by the repeated handling, bagging, transportation, and storage feed lines without much damage or fine particles. However, the pellet quality and efficiency depend on the raw materials used, like corn and soy lack the ability to achieve good pellet quality, while that of wheat increases pellet durability because of high protein content and hemi-cellulose in contrast to corn and soy products.

Cereals by ingredient type are rich in starch content and are highly preferred to feed animals. Every grain or cereal varies in its nutritional content and digestive anatomy of the animal. Starch that is completely digested before the end of the small intestine (SI) provides the maximum amount of glucose from the grain to support growth. Barely, corn, oats, and rye are entirely used as animal feed and only small amounts are used for human consumption. These grains and cereals might be fed in whole or compound form, mixed with other bi-products or oils, minerals or vitamins to form a complete meal for animals. The produced cereals are stored after drying to reduce moisture levels and preserve them for the full year. Since some are seasonal grains, they need to be produced for the whole year and stored to meet the demands. Production is highly influenced by particular crop failures, droughts, or climatic conditions. By Source, animal feed can be classified into Plant-based and Animal-based sources. Plant-based feeds dominate the market, with ingredients like corn, soybeans, and rice being essential for formulating balanced diets for livestock. The reliance on imported grains is notable, as Japan's self-sufficiency in feed ingredients remains low. Animal-based feeds are less prevalent but still play a role in specialized diets. The industry's evolution is influenced by technological advancements in feed formulation, health regulations, and changing consumer preferences towards high-quality meat products.



However, COVID-19 has caused some problems and changes in the feed industry, like many other industries, and the Japan feed industry is no exception. It had a negative impact due to disruptions in supply chain activities caused by global trade restrictions. A sharp drop in demand for restaurant meals and an increase in demand for grocery store food, combined with certain challenges in reorienting meat supply networks, resulted in a surge in retail meat prices and occasional grocery store stock-outs of specific meat products. Lower demand for cattle and supplies of beef and pork resulted from the drop in demand.


Considered in this report:
• Geography: Japan
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Japan animal feed market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Ingredient:
• Cereals
• By Products
• Cakes & Meal
• Supplements
• Others

By Livestock:
• Cattle Feed
• Poultry Feed
• Pig Feed
• Aqua Feed
• Others

By Form:
• Pellet
• Mash
• Crumbles
• Cubes and Cakes

By Source:
• Plant-based
• Animal-based

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analysing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to Animal Feed Industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.