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Farm Animal Feed Production in the US - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Christopher Lombardo Christopher Lombardo New York, United States Last Updated: November 2025 NAICS OD4613

Revenue

$47.5bn

2025

$47.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

30,492

Businesses

880

Wages

$X.Xbn

Farm Animal Feed Production in the US industry analysis

The animal feed industry has experienced a turbulent ride to 2025, shaped by an extraordinary period of commodity price spikes, volatile crop yields and erratic shifts in domestic and export demand. Feed producers rode an early surge as corn and soybean prices climbed, spurring nominal revenue growth and boosting tonnage for those able to manage evolving contract terms and forward purchases. Yet these windfalls were often fleeting. Fast-shifting weather and uneven grain quality forced quick pivots in procurement and blending, exposing regional divides and creating uneven performance across the sector. As markets normalized post-pandemic, destocking, tighter procurement and subdued global prices led to marked slowdowns and a return to revenue contraction, all while supply-chain bottlenecks—from packaging shortages to container imbalances—challenged even the most seasoned producers. Revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.5% over the past five years, but reversed course in recent years, dropping 2.5% in 2025 alone to total $47.5 billion.

Trends and Insights

  • Feed producers face ongoing revenue swings because of price shocks and supply chain hurdles. Companies that diversify sourcing, manage inventory smartly and invest in flexible product mixes are coping best. Adaptability is becoming the key benchmark for staying ahead in this volatile market.
  • Precision nutrition and product innovation transform revenue sourcing. Suppliers investing in tailored formulas, analytics and compliance are boosting profit and strengthening loyalty, especially in poultry and dairy. Customization and technology now drive value and competitiveness.
  • Regional strengths and logistics advantages anchor feed industry hubs. The Plains dominate with cost-effective access to corn, soy and ethanol byproducts, while the Southeast prospers on its tight integration with poultry and optimized delivery networks. Local supply chains remain critical for competitiveness.
  • Scale and differentiation are vital for success against moderate substitutes. Large producers leverage economies of scale and specialized products to compete, while sustainable alternatives like insect-based feeds are slowly gaining traction. Standing out in quality or cost remains essential for market share.
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Competitors

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $47.5bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Commodity price surges and harvest quality swings drive erratic revenue cycles for feed producers

  • The animal feed industry’s revenue soared by 13.5% in 2021 as corn prices climbed 54.2%, pushing list prices higher and inflating nominal sales but also squeezing gross profit for producers unable to fully pass costs through rapidly. Heavy forward purchases at elevated prices created inventory windfalls early, but set up revenue headwinds as contract prices and demand adjusted in later years.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Farm Animal Feed Production in the US
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Premiumization and stagnant base demand will transform revenue strategies

  • Domestic per-capita protein consumption is set to plateau over the next five years, sharply limiting total feed tonnage growth and forcing suppliers to rely on product mix enhancements rather than raw volume expansion for new revenue. Successful operators will diversify into targeted, certified specialty products to escape commodity price compression.

Biggest companies in the Farm Animal Feed Production in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Profit ($m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Land O'lakes, Inc.
4,189.2
86.0
2.1
Cargill, Incorporated
3,684.3
123.0
3.3
Chs Inc.
2,465.6
76.3
3.1

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Farm Animal Feed Production in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Dairy and beef cattle feed, Poultry feed and Swine feed. Dairy and beef cattle feed is the largest segment of the Farm Animal Feed Production in the US.

Trends and Insights

Product innovation and service models drive value capture in poultry feed

  • Poultry feed achieved 39.0% of industry revenue in 2025 with a shift toward bespoke, multi-phase formulas rich in premixes and micro-dosed additives. Producers invested in lab validation, dosing tech and on-site software, enabling them to supply precision blends that optimized FCR and increased technical profit with integrators and advanced growers.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This industry includes animal feed manufacturers that make food for livestock. Producers use remnants of flour milling, sugar production and other food processing as ingredient inputs to animal feed. This industry excludes production of animal feed for household pets, like dogs and cats.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States include Cubed alfalfa manufacturing, Barley feed (chopped, crushed or ground) manufacturing, Cattle feeds (supplements, concentrates and premixes) manufacturing, Prepared chicken feed manufacturing, Prepared turkey feed manufacturing, Dairy cattle feed (supplements, concentrates and premixes) manufacturing, Custom grain grinding for animal feed, Cubed hay manufacturing and Swine feed manufacturing.

Companies

Companies covered in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States include Land O'lakes, Inc., Cargill, Incorporated and Chs Inc.

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States include poultry, feedlot and ethanol.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 311119 - Farm Animal Feed Production in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Feed producers face ongoing revenue swings because of price shocks and supply chain hurdles. Companies that diversify sourcing, manage inventory smartly and invest in flexibl...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Precision nutrition and product innovation transform revenue sourcing. Suppliers investing in tailored formulas, analytics and compliance are boosting profit and strengthenin...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Regional strengths and logistics advantages anchor feed industry hubs. The Plains dominate with cost-effective access to corn, soy and ethanol byproducts, while the Southeast...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Scale and differentiation are vital for success against moderate substitutes. Large producers leverage economies of scale and specialized products to compete, while sustainab...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Major companies are reporting slim profit. Purina, Cargill and CHS all are contending with profit less than 2.7%.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Land O'lakes, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Cargill, Incorporated's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Chs Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Land O'lakes, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Cargill, Incorporated, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Chs Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Regulatory compliance is critical for feed manufacturers. The FSMA mandates preventive controls and strict record-keeping to reduce contamination risks in animal feed product...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Strategic procurement and automation are boosting profit for leading feed producers. Companies using hedging, dynamic sourcing, and operational upgrades are insulating themse...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
  • Income Statement (2018-2023)
  • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States in 2025?

The market size of the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States is $47.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States in 2025?

There are 880 businesses in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States?

The Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States?

The Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 2.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States are Land O'lakes, Inc., Cargill, Incorporated and Chs Inc.

What does the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States include?

Cubed alfalfa manufacturing and Barley feed (chopped, crushed or ground) manufacturing are part of the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States?

The company holding the most market share in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States is Land O'lakes, Inc..

How competitive is the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Farm Animal Feed Production industry in the United States.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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