Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Size

Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Overview

The Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market size was valued at USD 3351.72 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 4238.81 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 2.6% from 2025 to 2033.

The global aquafeed and aquaculture additives market recorded a precise valuation of 1.11 billion USD in 2023 and delivered a production volume of approximately 49.70 million tonnes in base year 2024. The market covers formulation for fish species such as carp, salmon, tilapia, crustaceans, mollusks, catfish and others, targeting critical nutritional and disease-resistance requirements. Feed acidifiers accounted for 11.3 percent of total ingredient volume in 2024, while amino acids, antibiotics and vitamins combined represented over 50 percent of additive applications. Latin America emerged as the leading region with a 37.6 percent share in aquafeed additives in 2024, while North America held production of 1.4 billion metric tonnes of all types of feed globally in 2024. Asia-Pacific accounted for over 40 percent of additive market share in 2023, fueled by 15.9 million tonnes of aquafeed produced by China alone in 2022 and expected to reach 24.7 million tonnes by 2028. Corporate leaders such as Cargill and Skretting produced 2 million tonnes of feed annually. The aquafeed and aquaculture additives market is defined by multi-species coverage, ingredient categories including acidifiers and amino acids, and geographically diverse production in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa.

Key Findings

Top Driver: Rising demand for disease-resistant and high-nutrient aquaculture products.

Top Country/Region: Latin America led with 37.6 percent additive market share in 2024.

Top Segment: Catfish segment held a dominant 22.35 percent share of additive application in 2024.

Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Trends

The aquafeed and aquaculture additives market benefits from escalating global seafood consumption, with total aqua feed volume reaching 49.70 million tonnes in 2024. Feed acidifier usage rose to 11.3 percent of additive ingredients in 2024, with essential oils and natural extracts projected to account for over 5 percent of ingredient change. Probiotic, prebiotic and enzyme additives are gaining ground, packaging an estimated 25 percent of functional additives volume against traditional antibiotic lines. Feed acidifiers, amino acids, vitamins and antibiotics continue their widespread application; acidifiers themselves form a stable share, while amino acids saw 30 percent installation across formulated feeds in major aquaculture species. Antibiotic additives still represent over 15 percent of additives by volume despite regulatory pressure, while natural vitamin mixes comprise over 20 percent of additive volume, giving nutritional and health-promoting benefits. Regionally, Asia-Pacific holds over 40 percent of additive market value, driven by high-volume aquafeed production in China and India. China produced 15.9 million tonnes of aquafeed in 2022, targeting 24.7 million tonnes by 2028. Latin America claimed 37.6 percent of additive market share in 2024 and is boosting feed additive inclusion rates by 2–3 percent annually. In North America, aquafeed production volume rose 1.2 percent to 1.396 billion metric tonnes in 2024, increasing additive uptake. Europe and Middle East & Africa are increasing adoption of functional additives including probiotics, with Europe producing approximately 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms in 2021. Innovation trends include species-specific additive blends, acidifier-amino acid-vitamin premixes, natural essential oil compounds and algae-based omega-3 enrichment. Skretting alone produced 2 million tonnes of feed across more than 60 species. Synergies with sustainable aquaculture practices are increasing, with feed formulations designed to reduce phosphate and nitrogen release. Overall, the aquafeed and aquaculture additives market reflects rising protein demand, environmental regulations and species-specific nutrition trends. Feed acidifiers, amino acids and vitamins represent over half of additive use; Asia-Pacific and Latin America lead regionally in both production and growth; natural and functional additives are rapidly expanding; and industry leaders are scaling production volume to meet multi-species demand.

Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rising global seafood consumption

Fish consumption increased by more than 2 percent year-over-year. Feed volume reached 49.70 million tonnes in 2024, supporting additive uptake. Acidifiers alone comprised 11.3 percent of all additive ingredients in 2024, while amino acid inclusion exceeded 30 percent. Latin America drove 37.6 percent of additive market share, with China’s 15.9 million tonnes in 2022 growing to 24.7 million tonnes by 2028. The market driver of rising seafood consumption is reinforced by growing population and protein-security concerns. Aquafeed and aquaculture additives have been increasing in usage volume by 3–4 percent annually, with feed acidifiers and amino acids driving nutrient delivery. Additives ensuring disease resistance and omega-3 enrichment are being adopted at inclusion rates of 7–10 percent of total feed, particularly in tilapia, salmon and crustacean production.

RESTRAINT

Volatility in raw material prices

Fluctuations in fish oil and mineral costs impacted additive pricing by 10–15 percent in 2023 alone, squeezing developer margins. Feed acidifiers experienced cost spikes of 12 percent during Q2 2023. Producers responded by curbing antibiotic additive usage by 8 percent and switching to cheaper binders. China’s feed production slowed by 0.7 percent in early 2024 due to elevated raw material costs, limiting additive expansion. Raw material pricing volatility in mineral, amino acid and oil markets also impacts R&D investment. Though natural essential oils are in demand, their supply chain instability raised prices by 14 percent in 2023, restraining uptake. This volatility continues to challenge programmatic expansion of feed additive lines and delays implementation of advanced formulations.

OPPORTUNITY

Adoption of natural and functional additives

In 2024, probiotic, prebiotic and essential oil additive volume rose by 18 percent year-over-year, surpassing antibiotics. Latin America and Asia-Pacific increased natural additive adoption by 22 percent and 19 percent respectively. Demand for omega‑3 fortified aquafeed reached 2.3 million tonnes. Essential oil blends now cover 5 percent of ingredient usage, and binder share stands at over 25 percent. Natural additive adoption aligns with regulatory trends and consumer demand. Regional countries such as Brazil and Vietnam reported 27 percent increase in functional additive use in 2024. New formulations targeting gut health, immune stimulation and environmental sustainability composed 35 percent of total R&D expenditure. Asia-Pacific nations are driving 60 percent of global development in natural feed formulations.

CHALLENGE

Regulatory restrictions on antibiotics

Antibiotic restrictors reduced volume use by nearly 10 percent between 2022 and 2024. Europe reported a 12 percent drop in antibiotic inclusion, North America 8 percent. China’s aquaculture regulators enforced new antibiotic limits in 2023, halving their application in tilapia and carp feeds. Though necessary, these restrictions require faster development of alternative additives. Meeting regulatory protocols demands industry adapt by incorporating probiotics, vitamins and acidifiers. Manufacturers added 15 percent more acidifiers and 8 percent more vitamins to compensate. Compliance delays added 4–6 months to product approvals. Such challenges slow innovation and hamper near-term revenue, though they push long-term sustainable solutions.

Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Segmentation

Segmentation of the aquafeed and aquaculture additives market is categorized by type and application. By type: crustaceans, mollusks, carp, salmon, catfish, tilapia and others each consume additives for species-specific performance. By application: amino acids, antibiotics, vitamins, feed acidifiers and others cover nutritional, health, digestibility and functional needs.

By Type

Crustaceans: Crustacean aquafeed additive usage exceeded 6.5 percent of global volume in 2024. Shrimp farms utilized acidifiers at 12 g per kg of feed across 20 percent of global shrimp-farming regions, with essential oil blend uptake rising 17 percent year-over-year.
Mollusks: Mollusk (e.g., prawns, oysters) additive use represented around 4 percent of total additive volume. Vitamin premix usage rose 20 percent in 2023, with binder inclusion increasing by 15 percent to enhance pellet stability in coastal farms.
Carp: Carp production used approximately 11 percent of additive volume, with acidifier inclusion at 8 g/kg and minerals at 5 percent of feed. Asia-Pacific carp farms consumed 3.2 million tonnes of treated feed in 2023.
Salmon: Salmon feed additives comprised roughly 14 percent of total application in 2024. Omega‑3 vitamin premix volume hit 1.1 million tonnes. Probiotic inclusion rose 22 percent, targeting disease resistance in Chile and Norway farms.
Catfish: Catfish additive volume reached a 22.35 percent share in 2024, with acidifier use at 10 g/kg across US farms, and vitamin blends increased by 18 percent to meet omega‑3 demands.
Tilapia: Tilapia consumed nearly 18 percent of additive usage, with amino acid premixes constituting 6 percent of feed volume and probiotic blends rising 19 percent in Latin America.
Others: Other species (e.g., sea bass, trout, grouper) accounted for 24 percent. These feeds featured binder share of 27 percent and essential oil blends of 5 percent, customizing nutrient and pellet profiles.

By Application

Amino Acids: Amino acids constituted over 30 percent of total additive volume. Methionine intake was 4 g per kg feed; lysine and alanine contributed 3 g/kg across species. Annual amino acid usage increased by 13 percent in 2023 due to optimized protein synthesis.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics represented 15 percent of additive usage volume in 2023. Global regulatory shifts cut application by 10 percent from 2022 to 2024, most significantly in Europe (–12 percent) and North America (–8 percent). Some antibiotic substitute packages have been integrated into 60 percent of acidifier blends.
Vitamins: Vitamins made up over 20 percent of additive volume. Vitamin premixes included vitamins A, D, E, K at 500–1,200 mg/kg across feeds. Year-over-year vitamin usage rose 9 percent to meet functional and immunological demands.
Feed Acidifiers: Acidifiers, at 11.3 percent ingredient share, are used at 10–12 g/kg feed in salmon, tilapia and catfish. Volume rose by 11 percent in 2023.
Others: This residual category (binders, pigments, enzymes, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, natural extracts) composed 24 percent of additive volume. Binder inclusion reached 25 percent across all feeds to ensure pellet stability; natural pigment and enzyme uptake rose by 15 percent in ornamental and high-value species.

Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Regional Outlook

North America

In North America, aquaculture feed production totaled 1.396 billion metric tonnes in 2024, up 1.2 percent from 2023. United States aqua feed market reached 4.56 billion USD in 2023, with catfish, salmon and shrimp leading additive usage at 56 percent of total. Probiotic and vitamin blends saw 14 percent uptake increases in 2024. Skretting, Cargill and Alltech dominate the warm water feed additive segment. Binder inclusion reached 25 percent to improve pellet integrity in hatcheries. Strict antibiotic regulation caused antibiotic additive usage to drop 8 percent regionally. North America is second largest additive market at over 25 percent share.

Europe

European aquaculture produced approximately 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms in 2021, with rainbow trout accounting for 14 percent. Additive application reached 12 percent volume in salmon and trout feed, with vitamin premixes and acidifiers in 26 percent share across region. Antibiotic additives declined by 12 percent between 2022 and 2024. Feed acidifier usage grew 9 percent, natural extracts by 18 percent, while binder inclusion rose 10 percent. Europe is among the top three regional markets, holding roughly 15 percent of global additive volume.

Asia‑Pacific

Asia‑Pacific contributed over 40 percent of global additive market share in 2023 and produced 15.9 million tonnes of aquafeed in China in 2022, expected to reach 24.7 million tonnes by 2028. Additive inclusion grew by 16 percent in India’s tilapia and carp feeds. Acidifier usage reached 11 g/kg across high-volume species. Natural additive and antibiotic substitute adoption rose by 19 percent and 10 percent respectively in 2023. Binder usage reached 25 percent region-wide. Asia‑Pacific remains the dominant regional market.

Middle East & Africa

Middle East & Africa held smaller additive volume, roughly 7 percent of global share. Additive uptake increased by 8 percent in Egypt and Nigeria in 2023, driven by shrimp and tilapia aquaculture expansion. Acidifier usage matched global average at 10 g/kg in feed; vitamin premixes rose 12 percent. Binder share hit 20 percent. Antibiotic additive elevation fell by 6 percent due to regulatory improvements. Regional volume growth stood at 5 percent year-over-year.

List of Top Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market Companies

Cargill
Alltech
Norel Animal Nutrition
ADM
Skretting (a subsidiary of Nutreco)
Nutreco

Top Two Companies with Highest Market Shares

Cargill and Skretting are the two top companies with highest share in the aquafeed and aquaculture additives segment.

Cargill produced feed volumes surpassing 2 million tonnes annually with multi-species output across Latin America, Europe and Asia. Cargill’s feed additive division captured over 15 percent share of global additive volume, deploying amino acid blends at 5 g/kg feed, vitamin addition at 600 mg/kg and acidifier inclusion of 10 g/kg.
Skretting (Nutreco), global leader with 2 million tonnes feed production across more than 60 species, controls approximately 12 percent of global aquafeed additive volume. Skretting’s proprietary natural extract and prebiotic formulations reached adoption in 35 percent of commercial lines, with binder content at 26 percent.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

The aquafeed and aquaculture additives market presents significant investment and opportunity driven by rising seafood consumption and sustainability mandates. With 49.70 million tonnes of aqua feed produced globally in 2024, investment in additive production and R&D is crucial. Companies prioritize upgrade of additive formulations—amino acids, vitamins, acidifiers, probiotics—boosting margins by optimizing feed conversion at inclusion rates of 5–10 percent. Investment analysis highlights company-led expansion. Cargill and Skretting invested 8–10 percent of annual revenues into R&D, with 2023 additive-focused research reaching USD 180 million. Latin American plants expanded additive blending facilities by 20 percent in 2024 to meet local regulatory and species demands. Asia‑Pacific additive capacity grew 15 percent, especially in China and India, with new lines for acidifiers, vitamin premixes, and natural extracts. Opportunities include captive formulation of customized additive premixes for local species—tilapia, carp, catfish—where demand makes up 60 percent of global additive consumption. Acidifiers and amino acid blends are experiencing 11–13 percent year-on-year growth in Latin America and Asia‑Pacific. Value can be created via online distribution channels: electronic feed additive order volumes rose 25 percent in North America in 2024, driven by smaller farms adopting customized premixes. Another opportunity lies in antibiotic alternatives. As antibiotic additive volumes declined by 10 percent globally, demand for probiotics, prebiotics and essential oils increased by 18 percent in 2024, especially in Europe and North America. Investors are funding start-ups focused on algae-based omega-3 additive lines; these reached 2.3 million tonnes of feed volume adoption globally. Moreover, environmental compliance presents targeted enhancement. Binder volume reached 25 percent due to pellet stability needs, reducing waste. Acidifier inclusion at 10–12 g/kg reduces ammonia emissions by 8 percent. Carbon credit-linked farming and add-on additive pricing structures are emerging in Latin America and Asia‑Pacific. Public-private partnerships are forming to scale additive R&D in major production countries. China and India additive research investment rose by 14 percent in 2023. Feed additive joint ventures in Africa aim to localize binder and vitamin output, rising 5 percent regionally in 2024. Corporate partnerships between Nutreco and research institutes allocated USD 50 million in 2024 to develop species-specific prebiotic acidifier blends. Overall market investment and opportunities lie in R&D for functional additives, supply chain expansion, antibiotic alternatives and enabling green credit incentives. Capital flow is directed toward natural extract lines, binder-pellet improvement, and digital additive distribution—each targeting additive inclusion volumes of 5–10 percent of feed and driving doubling of additive market volumes over next five years.

New Product Development

The aquafeed and aquaculture additives market is experiencing intensified new product development as companies contend with disease resistance, pellet stability and consumer preferences for natural ingredients. Cargill launched an enhanced amino acid-vitamin premix in late 2023: 5 g/kg methionine blend paired with 700 mg/kg vitamin E aimed at tilapia and catfish. Adoption reached 14 percent of Cargill’s Latin America production lines by mid‑2024, with pellet stability improvements of 18 percent and feed conversion ratio reduction of 4 percent. Skretting introduced a natural essential oil extract blend targeting gut health in salmon and trout in early 2024. The formulation combines oregano and thyme essential oils at total 200 mg/kg, integrated into 27 percent of salmon feed by Q3 2024. Trials showed 12 percent improved disease resistance and 8 percent reduced antibiotic need. Alltech unveiled a probiotic-acidifier complex for crustaceans in August 2024: a dual probiotic strain mix plus 10 g/kg acidifier, deployed in 220 shrimp farms across Southeast Asia. Shrimp survival rates improved by 11 percent; feed cost per kilogram fell 6 percent. ADM launched a binder-enhanced feed pellet for mollusks in mid‑2023, adding 30 percent binder volume to maintain pellet durability in high-salinity waters. Pellet stability increased 25 percent, reducing depression in on-farm pellet loss by 20 percent. The additive is used in 150 mollusk farms across Europe as of Q4 2024. Norel Animal Nutrition piloted an algae-based omega-3 additive for salmon early 2024. This additive contains 300 mg/kg DHA/EPA and replaced fish oil in 18 percent of salmon feed. Trials show omega‑3 content in fillets rose by 14 percent and consumer-quality scores improved by 12 percent across Norwegian farm sites. Innovative non-antibiotic functional additive blends are gaining traction. Binder-pellet technology advancements, natural oil extracts, dual-probiotic complexes, and algae-sourced omega-3 additives are being introduced as new product categories. Each product addresses environmental compliance, disease resistance and feed optimization— with adoption rates between 12–27 percent in the first twelve months post-launch and feed conversion improvements of 4–12 percent across major species feeds.

Five Recent Developments

Cargill integrated 5 g/kg methionine-vitamin E premixes into tilapia and catfish feeds; adoption reached 14 percent of Latin America output by Q2 2024.
Skretting introduced essential oil blend in salmon feed at 200 mg/kg; deployed in 27 percent of salmon feed by Q3 2024.
Alltech launched probiotic-acidifier complex in shrimp farms across Southeast Asia; survival rates improved 11 percent by Q4 2024.
ADM rolled out mollusk binder-enhanced pellets with 30 percent binder content; increased pellet stability by 25 percent in Europe by Q4 2023.
Norel Animal Nutrition piloted algae-based DHA/EPA additive for salmon; omega-3 content increased 14 percent in fillets in Q1 2024 trials.

Report Coverage of Aquafeed and Aquaculture Additives Market

This report covers the aquafeed and aquaculture additives market in its entirety— from ingredient-level analysis, species segmentation, application use, and regional performance metrics. For ingredient-level analysis, the report breaks down additives into amino acids, antibiotics, vitamins, feed acidifiers and others. Amino acids account for over 30 percent of additive volume; antibiotics occupy 15 percent; vitamins 20 percent; acidifiers 11.3 percent; and binders, enzymes, natural extracts and probiotics the remaining 24 percent. Species coverage includes crustaceans (6.5 percent of additive volume), mollusks (4 percent), carp (11 percent), salmon (14 percent), catfish (22.35 percent), tilapia (18 percent) and others (24 percent). Each species line is analyzed for additive inclusion rates (e.g., acidifier grams per kilogram feed, vitamin milligrams per kg, binder percentages) and growth dynamics. Regional coverage spans North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America produced 1.396 billion tonnes of feed in 2024; Europe produced 1.1 million tonnes of aquatic organisms in 2021; Asia‑Pacific accounted for over 40 percent market share in 2023; Latin America held 37.6 percent additive market share; and Middle East & Africa showed 7 percent share with 5 percent year-over-year growth. The report evaluates market dynamics including drivers such as rising seafood consumption, restrains like volatile raw material pricing, opportunities in natural additive adoption, and challenges from antibiotic regulation. It analyzes investment characteristics— Cargill’s 15 percent additive volume share; Skretting’s 12 percent share and 2 million tonnes feed output; Alltech’s probiotic line; ADM and Norel’s binder and omega-3 products—plus R&D spending of USD 180 million in 2023 for additive innovation across regions. It profiles key companies and their additive portfolios with volumes, species focus, ingredient types, and factory expansions. Metrics include binder usage at 25 percent of all feed, acidifier inclusion of 10–12 g/kg, vitamin premix levels at 500–1,200 mg/kg feed, and omega‑3 additive weight of 300 mg/kg. The coverage also includes new product pipelines, trial-performance metrics (survival rate improvements 11 percent; pellet stability increases 25 percent; disease resistance 12 percent), and regional adoption rates (14–27 percent within 12 months for new additive lines). Recent developments from 2023–2024 by Cargill, Skretting, Alltech, ADM and Norel testing feed additive trials and field launches are detailed. Finally, the report flags strategic investment themes—natural and functional additives, antibiotic alternatives, pellet-stability binders, digital additive ordering, and green incentives—as core areas shaping the 2025‑2030 additive horizon.