China’s stockpile of both corn and soymeal has started to dwindle in recent months, making prices for feed grains soar. To compensate for the shortage, China has increased imports of corn and encouraged poultry feed manufacturers to switch to cheaper alternatives. Many domestic formulators have turned to wheat, which has a higher protein content than corn and soy.

However, China’s new guidelines may not counteract surging feed prices in the coming months. According to analysis in All About Feed, China’s agriculture ministry says that the guidelines hope to improve the usage of available raw ingredients and create a poultry feed that is tailored to China’s economic and agricultural conditions.

Along with reducing volumes of corn and soy, feed formulators are being encouraged to use rice, rice bran, sorghum, barley and cassava as corn substitutes. In lieu of soy, formulators are being encouraged to use cottonseed meal, peanut meal, palm meal, sesame meal, flaxmeal and dried distillers grains.

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