Where Will Meat Production Increase To Supply Rising Future Demand?
Since feed costs are the largest component of the production cost for meat animals, regions that have abundant, low-cost feed available will have an advantage in animal production. Transport costs for grains and oilseed meals raise feed costs. The regional data show that parts of North and South America have considerable surpluses in grains and oilseed meals, the two largest components of feeds. In the future, this provides a solid, initial advantage for those regions in producing more animals in order to export more meat than they do now. Their current grain and meal exports could be replaced by meat exports. The EU, Oceania, and the former Soviet Union republics have large grain surpluses, but not surpluses of oilseed meals. The meal deficit is particularly large in the EU. Future use of grain to produce animals for meat export would be partially offset by a growing need to import oilseeds for crushing or oilseed meals, which would incorporate a transportation cost. Oceanias grain ex
