Also known as: MCP · 22% P MCP
Feed-grade monocalcium phosphate, typically 22% P and 16% Ca with high phosphorus availability and a low Ca:P ratio. The standard phosphate for shrimp and high-performance broiler, layer and pig diets.
Short answer: Feed-grade monocalcium phosphate (MCP) typically supplies about 22% phosphorus and 16% calcium with high phosphorus availability, which makes it the standard phosphate for shrimp and high-performance broiler, layer and pig diets that need a low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. China dominates supply volume, with Morocco, Tunisia and Vietnam serving EU and MENA buyers. FeedMatch Group compares supplier offers on assay, fluorine and heavy-metal limits and landed cost per unit of available phosphorus; supplier and batch evidence must be checked before award.
FeedMatch Group's RFQ Builder benchmarks landed costs across origins for your discharge port and shipment window.
Indicative ranges for commercial feed-grade MCP. Actual values vary by producer, rock source and process, so contract against the supplier's guaranteed analysis rather than these figures.
| Parameter | Typical value | Why a buyer checks it |
|---|---|---|
| Total phosphorus (P) | 21.0–22.7% | The unit you are actually buying — normalise every offer to cost per unit of P. |
| Calcium (Ca) | 15.0–17.0% | Determines how much limestone the formulation still needs and fixes the Ca:P ratio. |
| Phosphorus availability | ~90–98% (relative) | MCP's main advantage over DCP; drives the real inclusion rate. |
| Water-soluble P | Typically ≥80% of total P | A practical indicator that the product is genuinely mono- rather than di-calcium. |
| Fluorine (F) | Regulated maximum, commonly ≤0.2% (2,000 mg/kg) | A defluorination failure is the classic reason a phosphate cargo is rejected. |
| Heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, Hg) | Within feed-material legal limits of the destination market | Phosphate rock origin drives cadmium in particular. |
| Moisture | ≤4% | High moisture caking is the commonest handling complaint on MCP. |
| Particle size / form | Granular or powder, per dosing system | Granular for on-line dosing, powder for premix. |
Fluorine and heavy-metal limits are set by the destination market's feed legislation. Confirm the limits that apply to your country before contracting.
Buyer comparison
Both supply phosphorus and calcium, but the right specification depends on the whole formulation. Compare actual grades and documents, not shorthand names or price per tonne alone. A qualified nutrition professional should approve any substitution or inclusion rate.
| Buyer check | MCP | DCP |
|---|---|---|
| Phosphate form | Monocalcium phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate |
| Phosphorus and calcium | Compare the supplier's guaranteed P and Ca assay | Compare the supplier's guaranteed P and Ca assay; account for calcium in the whole ration |
| Phosphorus availability | Request the analytical method and evidence used for the proposed grade | Request the same method and evidence; do not treat total P as available P |
| Physical form | Check granule size, moisture and flow for the dosing system | Check granule size, moisture and flow for the dosing system |
| Safety and documentation | Batch COA, fluorine and heavy-metal results for the destination market | Batch COA, fluorine and heavy-metal results for the destination market |
| Commercial comparison | Delivered cost on an agreed available-P basis | Delivered cost on the same available-P basis |
Ask for a lot-specific certificate of analysis, the proposed formulation basis and a delivered quotation to the same destination. Have a qualified professional assess available phosphorus, the calcium balance, phytase assumptions and applicable safety limits before calculating an equivalent cost or changing the ration.
Do not use indicative ranges on this page as a contract specification or a guarantee of product performance.
What actually moves the number an MCP supplier quotes you, and what a buyer can do about each one:
MCP is produced from phosphate rock and acid, so its price tracks the upstream phosphate and fertiliser complex rather than the feed market.
Buyer action: Do not assume feed-market seasonality applies. Track phosphate fertiliser direction when timing larger contracts.
A 21.0% P product and a 22.5% P product are not the same purchase; the difference is roughly 7% more material for the same phosphorus.
Buyer action: Convert every offer to cost per unit of available phosphorus before comparing headline prices per tonne.
China dominates export volume; Morocco, Tunisia and Vietnam serve EU and MENA buyers with shorter lead times.
Buyer action: Compare on a landed basis. A lower FOB price from a distant origin often loses once freight, duty and lead time are included.
Granular, powder, 25 kg bags, big bags and bulk each carry different handling and packaging costs.
Buyer action: Specify the form your dosing system actually needs — paying for granular you then have to grind is waste.
Applying a phytase matrix typically removes several kilograms of inorganic phosphate per tonne of feed.
Buyer action: Settle the phytase matrix before tendering, so the tonnage you quote is the tonnage you will buy.
These questions turn a broad market search into a comparable procurement brief. Values, doses, substitutions and performance expectations must be approved by the buyer's qualified nutrition, veterinary, feed-science, safety and regulatory advisers.
State the mineral source, guaranteed element content rather than compound weight alone, physical form, contaminant and heavy-metal limits, destination-market authorisation and the intended premix or complete-feed use.
Compare delivered cost per kilogram of the declared element, not price per kilogram of compound. Include source form, bioavailability evidence, contaminants, testing and the approved inclusion basis.
Request a current specification, technical and safety data, recent batch certificates of analysis, manufacturing and feed-safety certification, destination registration where required, allergen or GMO status where relevant, traceability details, shelf-life evidence and a clear procedure for non-conforming lots. Verify documents and claims before approval.
The quoted result can change with feedstock or active-material availability, production concentration, plant outages, energy and freight costs, packaging, order size, Incoterm, destination registration, testing requirements and delivery window. FeedMatch does not publish a live price; buyers should request a firm, time-bound quotation against one controlled specification.
The checks that separate a reliable MCP supplier from a cargo that gets rejected at intake:
| Check | Evidence to request | Accept | Reject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed analysis on the contract | Total P, Ca, water-soluble P and moisture stated as guaranteed minimums or maximums, not 'typical'. | Guarantees written into the contract with a tolerance and a remedy. | Only a typical-analysis sheet, or figures quoted verbally. |
| Batch certificate of analysis | A batch-specific COA from the producing plant, with batch number and date, matching the shipped lot. | Batch COA traceable to the delivered lot. | A generic or undated COA, or one that cannot be tied to the batch. |
| Fluorine and heavy metals | Fluorine, cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury tested against the destination market's feed limits. | Results inside the legal limits of the country of use, from a recognised laboratory. | Missing fluorine result, or limits quoted for a different market than yours. |
| Feed-safety certification | A valid GMP+, FAMI-QS or equivalent certificate covering the producing site, not only the trader. | Current certificate naming the production site and the product scope. | An expired certificate, or one covering a trading office only. |
| Independent verification right | A contractual right to third-party sampling and analysis at load or discharge. | Named inspection company, agreed sampling method, agreed cost split. | Supplier's own analysis declared final. |
Monocalcium Phosphate is bought inside the additives category, where specification discipline — not price per kilogram — decides the real cost. Our feed additives procurement guide covers how to write a quotable specification, which certifications and registrations to demand (FAMI-QS, GMP+, EU Reg. 1831/2003), when a premix beats buying straights, and how to normalise offers to delivered cost per unit of active.
Confirm the current rule for the exact product, target species and destination market before contracting. Private assurance schemes may support supplier qualification but do not replace applicable law.
Heavy metals — lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury — accumulate in animal tissues and are regulated in feed materials, with mineral sources and marine ingredients carrying the highest inherent risk.
Purity covers everything that should not be in the cargo — foreign matter, other-grain admixture, hulls, soil, packaging debris and deliberate adulterants — and is verified by physical inspection plus targeted analysis.
Particle size distribution governs mixing homogeneity, pellet quality, digestive efficiency and segregation risk, and is specified as a geometric mean diameter with a distribution, not a single sieve figure.
Ash is the inorganic residue after complete combustion; it indicates total mineral content and, in protein meals, is a practical marker for bone, shell, sand or mineral adulteration.
Each parameter is explained in the specification library — what it measures, how it is tested and what to verify.
| Test | Why buyers run it |
|---|---|
| Assay of the declared element | Confirms the purchased mineral content, not just the salt identity |
| Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) by ICP-MS | Mineral sources are the primary heavy-metal entry route into feed |
| Fluorine, where phosphates are involved | Regulated and tightly limited in phosphate feed grades |
| Particle size distribution | Segregation control in premix and mash |
| Acid-insoluble ash / insolubles | Detects inert filler |
Generally 12–24 months when dry and sealed; caking risk rises sharply with humidity exposure.
Formulation stages, KPIs and the ingredient basket for poultry — broilers operations.
Formulation stages, KPIs and the ingredient basket for poultry — layers operations.
Formulation stages, KPIs and the ingredient basket for aquaculture operations.
Formulation stages, KPIs and the ingredient basket for swine operations.
Certificates of analysis, sampling, inspection, origin, traceability and import documentation.
Step-by-step buying guides and printable verification checklists.
Least-cost, inclusion and landed-cost tools for procurement planning.
Technical articles, market context and regulatory background.
Educational reference maintained by FeedMatch Group. We do not rank, recommend or endorse manufacturers; values are indicative industry references and never replace testing of the delivered lot.
Before you tender, settle the phosphate source and the availability maths:
Pick the lane that matches where you are in the purchase — each link goes to the exact tool or page for that step.
What exactly am I buying?
How much, and at what landed cost?
Is this supplier and lot acceptable?
MCP typically supplies about 22% phosphorus and 16% calcium with high phosphorus availability; DCP typically supplies about 18% phosphorus and 23–25% calcium at lower availability and a lower price per tonne. MCP suits shrimp and high-performance monogastric diets that need a low Ca:P ratio; DCP is often cheaper where the ration can carry the extra calcium. Compare offers on landed cost per unit of available phosphorus, not price per tonne, and check the certificate of analysis for assay and fluorine limits.
MCP is monocalcium phosphate, an inorganic feed phosphate that supplies phosphorus and calcium. Feed grade typically carries about 22% phosphorus and 16% calcium with high phosphorus availability, which makes it the reference phosphate where the diet needs phosphorus without much extra calcium.
MCP typically supplies around 22% P and 16% Ca at high availability; DCP typically supplies around 18% P and 23–25% Ca at lower availability and a lower price per tonne. MCP is chosen where a low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio or maximum available phosphorus matters; DCP is often cheaper per unit of available P where the ration can carry the extra calcium.
Shrimp diets need a low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, so MCP or MDCP is the standard phosphate source. DCP's high calcium content makes it a poor fit for most shrimp formulations.
MDCP (mono-dicalcium phosphate) is a blend of both salts, giving a Ca:P ratio and availability between MCP and DCP, usually at a price between the two. It is a common compromise where MCP's cost premium is not justified.
China dominates global export volume. Morocco and Tunisia are significant producers serving EU and MENA buyers, and Vietnam supplies regional Asian demand.
Typically 3–15 kg per tonne depending on species, phase and the rest of the mineral package. Applying a phytase matrix commonly removes several kilograms per tonne of inorganic phosphate.
Convert both to cost per unit of available phosphorus on a landed basis: divide the delivered price per tonne by (total P% × availability). Then check the certificate of analysis for assay, moisture, fluorine and heavy metals against the limits of the market where the feed will be used.
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