Key points
- Ingredients compete on nutrient value, so prices move in linked groups.
- Freight and currency can dominate origin price movements.
- Policy interventions cause the sharpest and least predictable moves.
Supply-side drivers
Crop yields, planting decisions, weather, fishing quotas and catch outcomes, processing capacity and crush margins. Because many feed ingredients are co-products, their availability depends on demand for the primary product rather than for feed.
Substitution economics
Buyers substitute between protein and energy sources on nutrient cost, which links prices across the whole complex. A move in one major ingredient transmits into its substitutes within a short period.
Trade and policy
Export restrictions, import tariffs, sanitary bans and biofuel mandates redirect trade flows abruptly. These are the drivers most likely to create a step change rather than a gradual trend.
What to verify
- Price monitoring covering substitutes, not only the ingredient bought
- Freight and currency tracked as separate components
- Policy and trade-restriction monitoring for key origins
Risks to manage
- Origin price stability masking a freight or currency-driven cost rise
- Co-product availability collapsing because primary demand fell
- Abrupt export restriction removing an origin entirely
Common mistakes
- Tracking one ingredient in isolation from its substitutes
- Attributing all cost movement to supplier negotiation
- Ignoring policy signals until a shipment is blocked
Frequently asked questions
Can price movement be forecast reliably?
Direction can sometimes be reasoned from supply and substitution fundamentals; timing and magnitude cannot be forecast dependably. Procurement strategy should be robust to being wrong.
Why do co-product prices behave differently?
Their supply is set by demand for the primary product. Feed demand influences their price but has limited influence on how much is produced.
Related reading
Need this applied to a specific purchase?
Send your requirement and we will structure the specification, supplier shortlist and verification plan around it.
Start a sourcing request