In 2022, 30 animal feed manufacturers in North America reached or exceeded 1 million metric tons of compound feed production, according to WATT Global Media’s Top Feed Companies database, the exclusive source of Feed & Grain’s North American Top Feed Companies ranking report. WATT Global Media’s Top Feed Companies database is continuously updated by a research team and tracks the annual feed production volumes and major developments for each of the global feed industry's major players.
Globally, 147 animal feed manufacturers reached or exceeded 1 million metric tons of compound feed production. To capture the most accurate information, the Top Feed Companies analysis focuses on the previous calendar year’s compound feed production.
Many of the world’s leading firms are headquartered in Asia (58) and in Europe (32), with North America coming in third with 30 firms.
The 30 top North American feed-producing companies manufactured more than 104 million metric tons (MMT) of compound feed in 2022. According to Alltech’s Agri-Food Outlook survey, 2022’s global compound feed production volume exceeded 1.266 billion metric tons, meaning these 30 companies represent 8% of the world’s feed tonnage.
The North American Top Feed Companies report features one company new to the World’s Top Feed Companies list — Seaboard Foods (No. 8) at 3 MMT, headquartered in Merriam, Kansas.
North American Top Feed Companies highlights:
• Notable volume gains: The 2022 merger between two of the largest U.S. poultry integrators spawned Oakwood, Georgia-based Wayne-Sanderson Farms and its No. 5 ranking. Prior, Sanderson ranked No. 8, and Wayne Farms came in at No. 14 in 2021.
While ADM Animal Nutrition, based in Decatur, Illinois, sustained its No. 7 spot in North America, positive performance boosted it to No. 33 from No. 43 on a global scale.
• Global reach: The top three North American feed companies also made the top 10 on the World’s Top Feed Companies list. They were Wayzata, Minnesota-based Cargill, ADM Animal Nutrition and Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas.
• Mexico’s presence: While only two Mexican firms made the North American Top Companies list, they both ranked in the top 10 and reached the top 50 in the World’s Top Companies list of 147. Industrias Bachoco of Celaya, Guanajuato, sits at No. 6 (No. 29 globally) and Proteína Animal (PROAN) in San Juan de Los Lagos, Jalisco, came in at No. 10 (No. 47 globally).
• Tonnage decreases: The 30 companies on our North American Top Feed Companies list produced a total feed tonnage of 108,587 MMT in 2021, compared with total feed tonnage of 104,910 MMT in 2022. That’s a drop of more than 3,500 MMT last year.
U.S. egg producers saw feed production declines due to avian influenza — pushing Cal-Maine Foods of Jackson, Mississippi from No. 9 in North America to 16.
• Companies nearing 1 MMT of compound feed production: There are six companies worth watching in the coming years that charted volumes upward of 800,000 metric tons of compound feed production in 2022. These six may be contenders for ranking on the next North American Top Feed Companies.
If any major players seem to be missing from the North American ranking, note that WATT Global Media’s research team lists and combines the tonnage of subsidiaries under the sometimes lesser-known name of the parent company. To deep dive into all the companies WATT tracks, visit the Top Feed Companies database to search historical data, milestones and additional company information at Feedstrategy.com/top-feed-companies.
Was your company excluded? Submit new and updated Top Feed Company’s data to [email protected].
Editor's note: The World's Top Feed Companies report was drawn from WATT Global Media's Top Feed Companies database, compiled from research and a survey overseen by Bruce Plantz, Denise O’Keefe and Jackie Roembke. Feed consultant Yu Yu also contributed to the project. Please direct comments or questions to [email protected].
