China fails to reduce soybean meal dependence in animal feed

China has not yet achieved its targets for reducing soybean meal use in animal feed — the primary end-use of imported soybeans. According to data from the China Feed Industry Association (CFIA), soybean meal accounted for 13.4% of domestically produced feed in 2025, unchanged from the previous year.

This means the goal set by agricultural authorities three years ago — to cut soybean meal usage in feed from 14.5% in 2022 to below 13% by 2025 — has not been met. The shortfall also adds pressure to a longer-term target of reducing the ratio to 10% by 2030.

Beijing views soybeans as one of the biggest vulnerabilities in its agricultural sector, as more than 80% of domestic demand is covered by imports, mainly from Brazil and the United States. Most imported soybeans are processed into soybean meal to support the country’s growing demand for meat production.

Since 2023, China has been exploring alternative protein sources for animal feed, including biosynthetic amino acids, but large-scale adoption remains limited. According to Wang Wenshen, an analyst at Sublime China Information, the new technologies could help reduce import dependence and strengthen food security, but they are still too costly for widespread use.

As a result, China’s soybean demand remains strong, underscoring the importance of the global soybean market and complicating efforts to reduce import reliance in the coming years.

Tags: China, compound feed