Page 16 - Think Grain Think Feed - May25

www.benisonmedia.com INDUSTRY THOUGHT
Its Feed Economy
Capt. (Dr.) A.Y. Rajendra is the CEO of the Animal
Feed Business at Godrej Agrovet Ltd. A veterinary
science post-graduate and former officer in the
Indian Armed Forces, he joined GAVL in 1999.
With over 20 years of experience, he has held key
leadership roles, including CEO of ACI Godrej in
Bangladesh, where he led transformative growth
before returning to India in 2023.
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Feeding India's India, the world's largest 2024. Similarly, soybean 4 remain fragmented and lack www.benisonmedia.com
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 11 | Issue 7 | May 2025
Think Grain Think Feed - Volume 11 | Issue 7 | May 2025
3
nationwide impact.
producer of milk and a major
meal, a protein-rich feed
player in poultry and
component, ranged from INR
A comprehensive, long-term
aquaculture, continues to
40,500 to 47,000 per ton.
feed strategy that integrates
Future Starts
face persistently low per
chain vulnerabilities often
capita animal productivity.
innovation, and grassroots
This challenge weighs heavily
force farmers to cut back on
implementation is essential. A
on the sector at a time when High prices and global supply public policy, private
raw materials, resulting in
10-year feed security
with Fixing it must scale up production to inadequate animal nutrition roadmap could align these
meet evolving consumption
and reduced yields.
efforts and drive
needs.
transformative change.
While India produces a
With a population of 1.4 surplus of food grains, a lack India aspires to become a
fully developed nation by
billion and growing, coupled
of coordination between
departments prevents animal
with rising affluence
2047. Achieving this vision
reshaping dietary patterns, farmers from accessing this requires a resilient rural
demand for raw milk, value- surplus affordably and in a economy, with a robust and
Capt. (Dr.) A.Y. Rajendra added dairy products, eggs, timely manner. Compound profitable livestock and
Godrej Agrovet poultry, and fish is surging. feeds could provide a viable fisheries sector at its core.
However, India's dairy, solution. These scientifically Fixing our feed economy is
aquaculture, and poultry formulated feeds combine fundamental to realizing
sectors are struggling to meet cereals, protein sources, this dream.
this demand. The root of this vitamins, minerals, and 1 Indian Animal Feed Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity
struggle lies in a broken additives like enzymes and and Forecast 2023-2028
2 Animal Feed Industry in India: Status, Importance and Challenges
system of feed economics. probiotics. Though initially
3 Maize prices up by over a fifth on shortfall in supply, rise in demand
India's feed market, valued at costlier, compound feeds 4
Soybean Meal Market Report - India
INR 956.7 billion in 2022, is enhance feed conversion
projected to grow at 8.2% ratios, reduce wastage, and
annually to reach INR 1,578.2 improve animal growth,
1
billion by 2028. While these reproduction, and immunity.
figures appear promising, In the long run, they lower
systemic roadblocks continue input and animal care costs
to undermine the sector's while boosting productivity
potential. and profitability.
The feed market is divided Innovation is beginning to
into three major categories: transform the sector. Start-
poultry (55%), aqua feed ups are leveraging
(14%), and cattle feed (12%). 2 technologies like the Internet
Despite its scale, the industry of Things to develop ration
remains largely informal and advisory tools and upcycled
unorganized. A lack of feed from agricultural waste.
standardization leads to However, these innovations
uneven feed quality and remain small in scale. Their
nutritional imbalances, full potential can only be
particularly in cattle. This is realized through a National
evident in India's low milk Feed Security Roadmap.
yield per animal, despite The government has
having the world's largest launched initiatives like the
livestock population. Rashtriya Gokul Mission and
Price volatility further the National Dairy Plan to
exacerbates the problem. For promote balanced feeding
instance, maize—a key practices. States like
poultry feed Maharashtra and Punjab have
component—traded at INR also introduced their own
24,000-25,000 per ton in programs. Yet, these efforts
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