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Phosphate chemicals are used commercially in fertilizers, animal feeds and
industrial products, and as additives in food. Overall, animal feed–grade
phosphates are estimated to account for only 5% of global phosphate consumption.
The largest applications for phosphates are agricultural fertilizers (80%),
detergents (12%) and specialty applications (3%). This report focuses on use
as feed supplements for livestock, poultry and pets.
In most world regions with intensive animal production, inorganic phosphates
are used to supplement the animal diet to ensure optimal nutrition. Less-developed
economies may use raw phosphate rock or no supplementation at all. Calcium phosphate
(monocalcium or dicalcium phosphate or a mixture of the two) is the most widely
used product. In the United States, swine, turkeys and layers mainly use dicalcium
phosphate, while defluorinated phosphate rock (DFP) is the preferred supplement
in broiler chickens, and ammonium polyphosphates are common in liquid feeds
for cattle. These latter supplements are much less commonly used in other regions
of the world.
Since 2000, feed phosphate production in the United States has decreased because
of lower demand. Western Europe has experienced a slight decrease in production
since 2000. In Japan, production has increased since 2000, primarily because
of mad cow disease and its effect on meal and bonemeal use. Canadian feed phosphate
requirements are met by imports from the United States. There are significant
exports from the United States to Central and South America.
The following pie chart shows consumption of animal feed phosphate supplements
by major region. These regions account for approximately 4 million metric tons
of consumption on a product basis.
The feed phosphate industry is relatively concentrated. In the United States,
three producers (only two after the Cargill and IMC merger is completed) account
for 86% of total capacity; in Western Europe, two account for 68%; and in Japan,
a single producer accounts for more than 70% of total capacity. In the United
States, the dominant producers also produce phosphate fertilizers. Major U.S.
producers are back-integrated into phosphate rock.
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