FinancingFeed working capital, export credit, trade finance & asset leasing — explore options

Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) — Spécifications, fournisseurs et RFQ

Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) : spécifications techniques, origines mondiales, certifications GMP+/FAMI-QS et devis vérifiés. The volume feed phosphate: 18% P /…

Phosphate fourrager

Acheter du phosphate bicalcique (DCP)

Le DCP (18 % P / 21–24 % Ca) couvre le besoin en phosphore digestible des formules volailles, porcs, ruminants et aquaculture. Son prix dépend du phosphate brut, de l'acide sulfurique, de l'énergie et du fret maritime. La qualité se juge sur le titre en P, la digestibilité et les teneurs en fluor et cadmium.

Spécification d'achat

Phosphore (P)
min. 18 %
Calcium (Ca)
21–24 %
Fluor
max. 1 : 100 du taux de P (exigence UE)
Cadmium / plomb
à justifier selon le règlement (UE) 2019/1869
Taux d'incorporation usuel
0,5–2,0 % de l'aliment complet
Origines
Chine, Vietnam, Turquie, Jordanie, Israël, Tunisie, UE

Points à vérifier avant commande

  • Inscrire au contrat le titre en P et la solubilité à l'acide citrique (digestibilité).
  • Exiger fluor, cadmium, plomb et arsenic par lot.
  • Spécifier granulé ou poudre selon l'installation de mélange (risque de ségrégation).
  • Chiffrer le MCP en alternative : comparer par unité de P digestible, pas par tonne.
  • Définir le conditionnement (big bag / vrac) et la protection humidité en transit.

Demander des offres vérifiées

FeedMatch Group consulte plusieurs origines certifiées, compare les offres en coût rendu (CIF/DAP) et vérifie GMP+ / FAMI-QS avant toute recommandation. Gratuit pour les acheteurs.

FinancingFeed working capital, export credit, trade finance & asset leasing — explore options
Minerals

Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP)

Also known as: DCP 18% · Feed grade dicalcium phosphate · Calcium hydrogen phosphate · DCP dihydrate · MDCP · Feed phosphate

The volume feed phosphate: 18% P / 21–24% Ca, granular or powder, used to close the digestible-phosphorus gap in poultry, swine, ruminant and aqua diets. Priced off phosphate rock, sulphuric acid and freight, and specified on P assay, fluorine and cadmium.

Applications by species

broilerslayersbreedersturkeyswinedairybeefsheep goatsshrimptilapia

Top global export origins

China Vietnam Turkey Jordan Israel Tunisia Mexico European Union

FeedMatch Group's RFQ Builder benchmarks landed costs across origins for your discharge port and shipment window.

Certifications & quality standards

GMP+ B1 / B2 FAMI-QS ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 EU Reg. (EC) 1831/2003 authorisation ISO/IEC 17025 certificate of analysis Halal Kosher
Fluorine is the binding legal parameter: Directive 2002/32/EC caps fluorine at 2,000 mg/kg in phosphates and 100–350 mg/kg in feeds depending on species, and defluorinated grades are mandatory for ruminant and long-cycle diets. Cadmium, lead and arsenic limits under the same directive routinely fail on cheap rock-derived lots. In the EU each phosphate source must be authorised under Reg. (EC) No 1831/2003; non-EU markets follow AAFCO, CFIA or the national feed register. Confirm the destination register before contracting.

Buyer considerations

Advantages

  • Lowest cost per unit of available phosphorus among the standard feed phosphates in most origins
  • Well-supplied, liquid market with qualified producers in Asia, MENA, Europe and the Americas
  • Granular grades flow and mix cleanly, with far less dust and segregation than powder
  • Contributes calcium as well as phosphorus, simplifying the mineral balance in least-cost formulas

Constraints & risks

  • Price is a phosphate-rock and sulphuric-acid derivative — it moves with fertiliser, not feed, markets
  • Fluorine and cadmium load in low-grade, rock-derived material is the classic rejection cause
  • P assay and, more importantly, phosphorus solubility vary widely between producers at identical headline specs
  • Freight is a large share of landed cost, so origin choice can outweigh ex-works price
  • Anhydrous vs dihydrate confusion leads to formulation errors on available P

Buyer-grade specification: feed phosphate grades and contractual limits

The traded grades and the parameters that actually decide acceptance. Always reconcile the guaranteed assay against your formulation matrix and the destination market's fluorine and heavy-metal maxima before comparing prices.

GradeGuaranteed analysisWhere it is usedContractual limits to insist onRelative cost per unit of available P
DCP dihydrate (feed grade, granular)P min 18%, Ca 21–24%, moisture max 4%, P solubility in 2% citric acid min 90%Poultry, swine, ruminant and standard aqua diets — the volume workhorseFluorine ≤ 1,800–2,000 mg/kg, Cd ≤ 10 mg/kg, Pb ≤ 15 mg/kg, As ≤ 10 mg/kg, granulometry 0.5–2 mmBaseline (index 100)
DCP anhydrousP min 18–19%, Ca 23–26%, lower moisture, lower citric-acid solubilityWhere storage humidity or pelleting temperature is a problemSame limits plus explicit solubility guarantee — anhydrous can under-deliver available PSimilar per tonne, typically worse per unit of available P
MDCP (mono-dicalcium phosphate)P min 21%, Ca 15–18%, high water-soluble P shareHigh-performance broiler, breeder and shrimp dietsWater-soluble P share, fluorine, cadmium, free acidity5–15% higher, usually justified in short-cycle diets
MCP (monocalcium phosphate)P min 22.7%, Ca 15–17%, water-soluble P > 80%Aqua, piglet and phytase-free high-performance dietsWater-soluble P, moisture, fluorine, granulometry and dust10–25% higher per tonne; often lowest cost per unit of digestible P
Defluorinated / DFP and rock-derived gradesP 18–21%, fluorine tightly controlledRuminant and long-cycle diets where fluorine accumulatesFluorine certificate per lot, P:F ratio min 100:1Variable; specify, do not assume

Compare offers on landed cost per unit of available (not total) phosphorus: divide CIF cost per tonne by the guaranteed P assay, then adjust for the relative bioavailability your nutritionist assigns to the grade. A granular MCP at a higher tonne price is often cheaper per unit of digestible P than a cheap powder DCP with weak citric-acid solubility.

Buying this as part of your additive programme

Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) 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.

Key specifications to contract

Each parameter is explained in the specification library — what it measures, how it is tested and what to verify.

Laboratory testing programme

TestWhy buyers run it
Assay of the declared elementConfirms the purchased mineral content, not just the salt identity
Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) by ICP-MSMineral sources are the primary heavy-metal entry route into feed
Fluorine, where phosphates are involvedRegulated and tightly limited in phosphate feed grades
Particle size distributionSegregation control in premix and mash
Acid-insoluble ash / insolublesDetects inert filler

Storage, packaging, transport & handling

Shelf life

Generally 12–24 months when dry and sealed; caking risk rises sharply with humidity exposure.

Storage recommendations
  • Store sealed and off the floor with humidity control
  • Segregate from vitamins and organic materials to limit catalytic degradation
  • Keep clearly marked to prevent misidentification of visually similar salts
Packaging options
  • 25 kg bags with moisture barrier liner
  • Bulk bags for high-volume macro minerals
  • Sealed drums for hygroscopic salts
Transportation considerations
  • Protect from moisture ingress at every transfer
  • Avoid stacking pressure that compacts hygroscopic salts
Handling best practices
  • Use dust extraction — mineral dust is abrasive and a respiratory hazard
  • Verify granulometry matches the carrier for mixing homogeneity
  • Calibrate micro-dosing equipment against actual bulk density

Procurement considerations

  • Verify heavy metals against destination limits at complete-feed level, not only per ingredient
  • Specify the mineral form and solubility, since bioavailability differs between salts
  • Require lot-specific assay rather than a typical-analysis sheet
Common industry standards
  • GMP+ FSA / FAMI-QS feed safety scheme certification of the producing site
  • ISO/IEC 17025 accredited analysis for contractual and safety parameters
  • HACCP plan covering the specific material and process route
  • Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding
  • Destination-market maxima for undesirable substances in feed materials

Typical risks & common mistakes

Typical risks
  • Heavy-metal accumulation across multiple mineral inputs
  • Caking and dosing failure after humidity exposure
  • Substitution with a cheaper, less bioavailable salt form
Common mistakes
  • Comparing mineral offers on product weight rather than on the element delivered
  • Testing finished feed only

Species & industry intelligence

BroilersLayersBreedersTurkeySwineDairy cattleBeef cattleSheep & goatsShrimpTilapia

Related knowledge

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.

Exact grades buyers order

Related buyer resources

Before you tender, settle the phosphate source and the availability maths:

Your next step, by buying intent

Pick the lane that matches where you are in the purchase — each link goes to the exact tool or page for that step.

Frequently asked questions

What price drivers move dicalcium phosphate?

DCP is a fertiliser-complex derivative, so it tracks phosphate rock, sulphuric acid and ammonia rather than grain. The four levers that move a delivered price are: rock and sulphur cost at the producing complex; Chinese export policy and inspection quotas, which historically swing the world price by 20–40% within a quarter; ocean and inland freight, which can be a quarter of landed cost into Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia; and energy cost at the acidulation plant. Buy forward when rock and sulphur are soft, and always re-tender when a new origin becomes freight-competitive.

DCP, MDCP or MCP — which should I buy?

DCP 18% is the default for standard poultry, swine and ruminant feed and is usually cheapest per unit of total phosphorus. MDCP and MCP carry a higher share of water-soluble, highly available phosphorus and are worth the premium in broiler starter, breeder, piglet and shrimp diets where phosphorus availability limits performance. Run the comparison in your own matrix on cost per unit of digestible P, not on price per tonne.

What are the fluorine and heavy-metal limits I must contract?

Fluorine is the parameter that fails most often. EU Directive 2002/32/EC caps fluorine at 2,000 mg/kg in phosphates and constrains it in complete feeds by species; ruminants are the most sensitive because fluorine accumulates in bone. Contract fluorine ≤ 1,800 mg/kg with a P:F ratio of at least 100:1, cadmium ≤ 10 mg/kg, lead ≤ 15 mg/kg and arsenic ≤ 10 mg/kg, each evidenced by an ISO/IEC 17025 certificate per lot, and reserve the right to third-party sampling at load or discharge.

How does phytase change how much phosphate I buy?

A standard phytase dose releases roughly 0.10–0.15% available phosphorus from the plant phytate already in the diet, which typically removes 30–50% of the inorganic phosphate inclusion; high-dose superdosing goes further. That makes phytase and DCP direct commercial substitutes: run the trade-off at current phosphate prices every quarter, because a rock-driven phosphate rally can pay for a phytase upgrade several times over.

What lead times and packaging are normal?

Container shipments from Chinese, Vietnamese and MENA producers commonly run 5–9 weeks door to door, longer around Chinese New Year and during export-inspection tightening. Bulk vessel parcels suit 3,000 tonnes and above. Standard packaging is 25–50 kg PP bags with liner or 1,000–1,250 kg bulk bags; granular grades ship and store far better than powder in humid discharge ports. Most mills hold 4–8 weeks of cover and keep a second qualified origin approved.

Does FeedMatch sell dicalcium phosphate?

No. FeedMatch Group is supplier-neutral and holds no producer mandate. We help you write the specification, verify certification and registration status, run the RFQ across qualified producers in several origins, normalise every offer to delivered cost per unit of available phosphorus, arrange third-party sampling and assay at load or discharge, and can finance the shipment. The service is free for buyers.

For commercial farm feed buyers

Buying dicalcium phosphate (dcp) for a commercial farm

Best for
Commercial farms, integrators, distributors and feed buyers sourcing dicalcium phosphate (dcp) and related feed, additives or nutrition supply on a recurring commercial scale — not pet food, hobby farms or backyard quantities.
Animal species covered
Broilers and layers, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, tilapia, salmon and shrimp, plus sheep and goats on request.
Typical feed buyer needs
A written specification, verified suppliers who can hold that specification, comparable pricing on the same delivery terms, documented quality (CoA, certifications) and a supply schedule that matches production.
Bulk feed and recurring supply
Most requests are bulk or big-bag volumes on monthly or quarterly contracts. Volume per delivery, storage capacity on farm and contract length change price more than the headline per-tonne quote.
Feed additives and premix
Premix, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, toxin binders and other additives can be quoted alongside compound feed or ingredients so one supplier comparison covers the whole ration.
What affects feed cost
Raw-material origin and specification, inclusion rates, freight and Incoterms, packaging, order volume, payment terms, currency and certification requirements. Landed cost, not ex-works price, decides the winner.
RFQ checklist
Species and production stage, tonnes per month, target specification, delivery port or farm location, packaging, required certifications, first delivery date and contract duration.
Supplier matching process
You define the requirement, FeedMatch structures the RFQ, sends it to relevant qualified suppliers, and returns comparable offers side by side so you can negotiate on equal terms.
Buyer is not charged
Farm buyers are not charged to submit a requirement, receive matched suppliers or compare quotes.

FeedMatch helps farm buyers compare feed suppliers, nutrition providers, additives suppliers and related solutions. FeedMatch is an intermediary and does not manufacture feed or provide financing directly.

Get a Free QuoteExplore Financing