Until 1990 the EU and the US were the largest producers of compound feed. Now Asia with 157 million tons in 1996 accounts for the largest share, and demand is increasing strongly in this part of the world and in Latin America. Asia now drives the animal feed markets, presenting a large potential market for all feed additives which promise a better feeding efficiency. World markets have become less insular and subject to increasing international competition and opportunities. The need for global information is therefore crucial.
Many markets undergo important changes, as business environments and political conditions change.
This applies increasingly to the compound feed industry and the respective ingredient markets. Compound feed manufacturers are confronted with developments on the client side, the farmers with developments on the supply side. The international markets too are changing their demands for raw materials as well as premix ingredients. In order to survive and grow successfully, companies active in the compound feed sector must not only take a total view of the market, they must also be able to digest greater volumes of information efficiently. It is, however, not only the volume of information consumed that will determine the ability to develop, it is the need to have information assessed, interpreted, analyzed and presented.