US gains market access to Colombia for bovine meat, bone meal
Columbia's demand for animal feed ingredients grows
28 November 2023
2 minute read
By: In October 2023, the US Department of Agriculture’s Plant and Animal Health Inspection Service and the Colombian Institute for Agriculture agreed on import requirements for US bovine meat and bone meal (MBM) to Colombia, according to a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report.
This is the first market opening for US bovine MBM products in the region.
Growing demand for animal feed ingredients in Colombia
With a rising middle class, steady economic growth, and increasing production of protein, Colombian demand for feed ingredients is increasing. This creates an exciting opportunity for US MBM exports.
The largest consumer in the animal feed industry in Colombia is the poultry sector, accounting for 65% of total feed imports in 2022. Livestock and swine sectors consumed 25%, and the remaining 10% was destined to aquaculture and household pets. Demand for pork and poultry production grew in 2022 by 2.9% and 7.2%, respectively.
According to Euromonitor, the Colombian pet market has grown 85% over the past five years and is projected to reach $1.8 billion by 2023. In Colombia, 67% of households have at least one pet.
According to industry, Colombia produces an estimated 500,000 MT of pet food per year.
In Colombia, MBM is used in the formulation of animal diets, mainly for poultry, pork, milk producers, aquaculture, and pets. According to Colombia’s Animal Feed Chamber, the industry consumes approximately 63,000 MT of MBM per year. Nearly 50,000 MT are imported, primarily from Brazil and Argentina, while the remaining demand is supplied by local production. The table below illustrates MBM imports in the last five years.
