China Weaning Pigs Off American Soy

China's pigs are getting a new diet, and it has less to do with taste than geopolitics. Facing volatile soybean prices and heavy dependence on US imports, Beijing is pushing farmers to swap part of their pigs' soy-heavy feed for cheaper fermented mixtures made from local ingredients like bran, pumpkin vines, and food byproducts, reports Reuters. These "pre-digested" feeds, now about 8% of industrial feed and projected to hit 15% by 2030, could trim China's soybean imports by more than 6%. The move is part of a broader food-security push that mirrors China's drive to localize tech such as chips and AI.

The change isn't simple: Farmers must overhaul feeding systems, manage spoilage, and worry about animal health and growth rates. Still, big players are on board. Major producer Muyuan Foods has cut soymeal content to 7.3%, and dairy giants Yili and Mengniu have slashed soymeal in cattle feed by a fifth. The fermented-feed market in China has surged to an estimated $6 billion, drawing in firms like Louis Dreyfus. One unresolved question: whether meat from pigs on these new rations will satisfy increasingly quality-conscious Chinese consumers. Read the full story.