Global feed enzyme market now worth $1billion

According to recent analysis carried out by AB Vista, the global market for non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) and protease enzymes is considerably larger than previously recognised, at around US$550 million, and even larger than the US$450 million phytase market.

Overall market penetration of NSP enzymes has increased markedly over the last few years, and is now estimated, at around 57% of global monogastric feed. AB Vista has grown its own sales by a compound 30% pa over the last four years, and has consolidated its position as the clear #3 feed enzyme supplier.

“There has clearly been a lot of growth in NSP enzyme use in the last five years, particularly in the typically corn-soya diets of the Americas,” states Richard Cooper, AB Vista’s managing director. “Increasing numbers of swine and poultry producers are now taking advantage of the performance and financial gains available from NSP enzymes.”

The AB Vista NSP analysis used data from the 500 largest global users of feed enzymes across 33 countries to reveal key trends within the NSP enzyme market. Compared to the phytase sector, the NSP market has a far greater number of suppliers and products – more than 30 brands – and is also more reliant on relatively mature products. Eight of the top ten products have been on sale for more than 15 years.

“The concern is that large numbers are missing out on the improved gains available from the latest generation NSP enzyme products,” Cooper adds. “It is a situation perpetuated by many, who are apparently still making buying decisions based on cost per tonne rather than financial returns.”

Xylanase continues to be the most important NSP enzyme, and is generally regarded as having the most supporting evidence.

Xylanase-based products account for nine of the top ten NSP enzyme products, with five of those being single xylanase products.

“The science supporting the use of so-called multi-enzyme products is still not clear, and the market reflects this in its confidence in xylanase as the primary NSP enzyme,” Cooper highlights. “The results also demonstrate how much work is needed to unravel the conflicting messages being put into the market about product types and efficacy, and just how important initiatives like the Inspire: International NSP Forum 2014 are to clarifying the issues surrounding NSP substrates and NSP enzyme use.”