A dairy farm in Lanshan district, Linyi, Shandong province. [Photo/IC] 

The feed and veterinary medicine industry in East China's Shandong province has maintained its top position in the country for many consecutive years, with the annual export value exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion).

Shandong is a major province for animal husbandry and feed and veterinary medicine production. According to Yu Yongde, director of the province's livestock and veterinary bureau, there are currently more than 2,370 feed and feed additive production companies in the province that account for about one-seventh of the nation's total.

Since 2018, the number of feed enterprises, production volume, and output value in Shandong province has been the highest in the country. The total feed industry output value amounted to 197 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for one-sixth of the total in the country.

Official data shows that the annual output value of high value-added feed additives has reached 25.1 billion yuan, accounting for one-fifth of the nation's total and the highest in the country. The production of amino acids, vitamins, and other varieties is also world-leading.

The pet feed industry in Shandong has in recent years grown rapidly, registering an annual growth rate of around 30 percent in the past three years. The province's production volume accounts for 30.3 percent of the total in the country.