U.S. Grains Council Deepens U.S.-China Livestock Collaboration

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff recently attended the 22nd China Animal Husbandry Expo (CAHE) that brought together more than 1,500 exhibitors from more than 20 countries. At the heart of the international exhibition hall, the Council presented a comprehensive lineup of U.S. grains and high-value co-products, drawing substantial interest from livestock producers, feed manufacturers and nutritionists.

The Council’s team, including USGC Director in China Manuel Sanchez; USGC Livestock Sector Advisor Brian Wang; USGC Marketing Specialist Xiaoming Wang; and USGC Senior Program Coordinator Linda Li, engaged actively with visitors and exchanged insights on U.S. supply reliability, value-added processing technologies and evolving formulation trends in China’s feed industry.

This year’s theme was “Showcasing New Business Models, Sharing Innovations, Strengthening Momentum, Leading Development” and the event spanned nearly two million square feet and welcomed more than 230,000 professional visitors, reaffirming CAHE’s status as Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest livestock exhibition.

“The U.S. Grains Council remains fully committed to our mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives in China,” Sanchez said. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with our Chinese partners to build a prosperous, resilient future.”

Corn fermented protein (CFP) stood out as a key innovation among the products shown. Marketed as a high protein, high energy, highly digestible premium plant-based protein derived from corn, CFP quickly became a focal point. Chinese stakeholders expressed strong interest in its ability to enhance feed formulation efficiency, reduce reliance on traditional protein sources and support sustainable production practices.

As part of CAHE 2025, the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office hosted a technical seminar, U.S. Animal Nutrition and Swine Breeding, that attracted broad participation from the industry. Wang spoke at the seminar and comprehensively illustrated the Council’s pivotal role in global grain trade, highlighting the advantages and practical applications of CFP. As an innovative by-product of corn processing, CFP effectively diversifies feed ingredients, directly addressing the growing demand for high-protein feed raw materials in China.

Dr. Zhu Zengyong, chief researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Institute of Animal Sciences, further underlined CFP’s relevance in his keynote address. Dr. Zhu pointed to the urgent need for high-quality protein alternatives under China’s ongoing soybean meal reduction policy and cited promising results when combining CFP with sorghum and other grains, leading to improved feed efficiency and cost performance.

The Council also hosted a high-level dinner reception to bring together senior executives from China’s most prominent livestock and aquaculture firms, including Twins Group, Haid Group, Dekang Group, Tongwei Group, New Hope Liuhe, Aonong Group, CP Group, COFCO Trading, COFCO Feed and DBN Group. Representatives from Council members Hang Tung Resources and Texas Grain Sorghum Producers were also present.

Attendees engaged in in-depth discussions spanning nutrition innovation, cost control and the role of U.S. grains in achieving China’s protein security goals. Several Chinese companies voiced clear interest in piloting CFP in future feed trials and expanding their cooperation with U.S. suppliers.

“At this year’s CAHE, the Council not only reaffirmed its pivotal role in U.S.-China agricultural trade, but also successfully established a forward-looking platform for international dialogue,” Sanchez said. “This platform now serves as a solid foundation for deeper engagement between the two countries’ livestock industries and is expected to drive future cooperation toward broader scope and greater depth.”

Learn more about the Council’s work in China here.