As the United States continues to work on global trade priorities, the U.S. feed and pet food industry is working to safeguard the supply chain for essential ingredients.
Mallory Gaines, director of global affairs with the American Feed Industry Association, says the U.S. remains a dominant supplier of feed and pet food products. The country also relies heavily on key imports from trading partners like China, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.
“Our biggest supply chain risk right now, I would think, is vitamins,” Gaines says. “About 70-plus percent of our vitamins come from China, and that’s probably an understatement.
The reliance on China for essential feed components poses risks not only in the context of political tensions but also potential disruptions from logistical breakdowns. Gaines warns that a shortage of vitamins could have cascading effects on both livestock health and consumer food prices.
“Think about what’s happening with high-path avian influenza right now. The price of eggs skyrocketed because those animals were unhealthy and sick,” she explains. “If we don’t have vitamins, we’re going to have sick animals. We’re not going to be able to have a strong food supply.”
Gaines notes that the issue spans further than just the farm — pets rely on the ingredient supply chain, too.
While the U.S. manufactures much of its feed domestically, Gaines emphasizes the importance of diversifying supply chains and bringing more manufacturing back to American soil.
“We’d like to work with the administration on that, and we’d love to see something from Congress, maybe investing in research and development on how we can do this safely and effectively either in the U.S. or with one of our friendly trading partners.”
The feed industry is calling for stability, investment, and innovation to ensure American agriculture remains strong in the face of a changing global trade landscape.
Leave a Reply