When countries experience an ingredient deficit in animal feed due to lack of supply, alternative ingredients like distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) can come into play.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) held several follow-up webinars in various regions around the world this year to elaborate on how DDGS can factor into feed for swine, an industry that plays a big role in the demand for U.S. DDGS.

Representatives from the Irish feed and swine industries received an update on the latest developments in swine nutrition and the nutritional profile of U.S. DDGS in April. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of DDGS use and how to maximize inclusion rates and profitability in the country.

The Council also conducted swine-focused programming in Canada this year, engaging with Western Canadian swine producers, including the Hutterite community, for the second time. Due to drought in Western Canada, the country experienced a significant reduction in barley and wheat supply, creating an ingredient deficit for feed where U.S. corn and DDGS have been able to fill the demand.

Canada acted as the sixth-largest market for U.S. DDGS in the 2020/2021 marketing year (Sept. 1, 2020 – Aug. 31, 2021), purchasing more than 532,260 metric tons (MT), while the European Union followed closely as the seventh-largest market, importing 508,190 MT of U.S. DDGS.