United States Aquafeed Market By Ingredient (Soybean, Fish Meal, Corn, Fish Oil, Additives, Others), By Additives (Amino Acids, Vitamins & Minerals, Prebiotics & Probiotics, Enzymes, Antibiotics, Other), By Species (Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs, Other), By Form (Dry Form, Wet Form, Moist Form), By Lifecycle (Grower feed, Finisher feed, Starter feed, Brooder feed), By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 1.91 BIllion
CAGR (2026-2031)	7.33%
Fastest Growing Segment	Corn
Largest Market	Midwest
Market Size (2031)	USD 2.92 BIllion

Market Overview

The United States Aquafeed Market will grow from USD 1.91 BIllion in 2025 to USD 2.92 BIllion by 2031 at a 7.33% CAGR. United States aquafeed comprises compounded meals and nutrient blends formulated to optimize the health and growth of farmed aquatic organisms such as fish and crustaceans. The primary drivers supporting market growth include the rising consumer demand for seafood combined with the stagnation of wild fish stocks which necessitates increased aquaculture production. Furthermore, federal initiatives aimed at expanding domestic farming operations provide structural support for industry demand.

A significant challenge that could impede market expansion is the complex regulatory framework governing facility permitting. These bureaucratic hurdles create high entry barriers and operational delays for producers which restricts the addressable market for feed. According to the National Aquaculture Association, in 2024, regulatory constraints caused an estimated 507 million dollars in foregone direct economic output for the domestic aquaculture industry. Such regulatory inefficiencies limit the customer base for feed manufacturers and restrict overall market scalability.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of commercial aquaculture farming operations acts as a primary catalyst for the United States aquafeed market, directly increasing the volume of nutrient-dense formulations required to support growing stock inventories. As domestic producers scale their facilities to bridge the significant gap between local supply and consumption, the demand for specialized feed products has surged. This sectoral growth is substantiated by recent federal data indicating a robust upward trajectory in industry value. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, December 2024, total United States aquaculture sales reached 1.9 billion dollars in 2023, representing a 26 percent increase from 2018 levels. This expansion is fundamentally driven by the nation's heavy reliance on foreign supply to meet protein needs, which creates a critical imperative for domestic production growth. According to NOAA Fisheries, November 2024, in the 'Fisheries of the United States, 2022' report, the country imported 6.9 billion pounds of seafood products valued at 29.7 billion dollars, underscoring the massive market potential available to local farming and feed enterprises.

Concurrent with capacity growth, the adoption of sustainable and alternative feed ingredients is reshaping the market's value chain as manufacturers seek to reduce reliance on volatile marine resources. Industry players are increasingly integrating novel protein sources, such as insect meal and plant-based concentrates, to enhance environmental profiles and secure supply chain resilience. This strategic shift is characterized by significant capital allocation toward advanced ingredient processing infrastructure within the region. For instance, according to Innovafeed, April 2024, the company's new North American Insect Innovation Center in Decatur, Illinois, is designed to produce up to 60,000 metric tons of insect protein annually derived from corn by-products. Such facilities enable feed formulators to decouple production from wild-caught fish stocks, thereby stabilizing operational costs and ensuring long-term scalability for the domestic aquafeed industry.

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Key Market Challenges

The complex regulatory framework governing facility permitting acts as a severe constriction on the United States Aquafeed Market by artificially capping the size of the domestic aquaculture industry. Feed manufacturers depend directly on the operational volume of aquatic farms to drive sales; however, the convoluted permitting process, which often involves duplicative oversight from multiple federal and state agencies, creates substantial entry barriers for new entrants and stifles the expansion of existing facilities. This bureaucratic friction deters capital investment in the sector, effectively freezing the population of farmed fish and crustaceans at levels far below market potential, thereby limiting the total addressable volume for feed products.

This regulatory burden imposes direct financial strains on the customer base, diverting capital away from production inputs such as high-quality nutrient blends. When producers are forced to allocate significant financial resources to compliance rather than biological growth, their purchasing power for premium feed diminishes. According to the National Aquaculture Association, in 2024, the total annual cost of regulatory compliance for domestic farms reached approximately 196 million dollars, creating a disproportionate strain on operational budgets. This expenditure reduces the overall profitability of the farming sector, causing stagnation in farm output and directly hampering the revenue trajectory of the aquafeed market.

Key Market Trends

The Substitution of Marine Oils with Algal Omega-3 Sources is fundamentally altering the United States aquafeed ingredient profile by mitigating the industry's dependency on volatile wild-caught forage fish. Manufacturers are increasingly utilizing heterotrophic algal biomass to provide essential fatty acids like EPA and DHA, which ensures consistent nutritional quality regardless of marine fishery yields. This transition is critical for maintaining high production standards while securing a scalable supply chain for essential lipids. The industrial adoption of this ingredient class is evident in significant operational ramps intended to meet the needs of domestic formulators. According to Global Seafood Alliance, June 2025, Veramaris increased production of its algae oil by 61 percent in 2024, demonstrating the sector's aggressive shift toward these non-marine, sustainable lipid sources to support market expansion.

The Development of Specialized Feeds for Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) addresses the unique technical requirements of the expanding land-based farming sector in the country. Unlike traditional open-water diets, RAS formulations must be engineered for superior physical stability and high digestibility to ensure fecal matter settles quickly for mechanical removal, thereby preventing biofilter overload and water quality degradation. This trend is accelerating as substantial capital inflows fuel the construction of massive indoor rearing facilities, creating a dedicated market for these high-performance diet specifications. According to The Fish Site, March 2025, investors have committed 1.6 billion dollars to RAS projects over the past two years, with the majority of this capital directed toward large-scale systems in the United States, underscoring the critical imperative for compatible feed technologies.

Segmental Insights

The Corn segment currently represents the fastest-growing category within the United States Aquafeed Market, driven by the aquaculture industry's strategic shift toward cost-effective and sustainable plant-based alternatives. Manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing corn and corn gluten meal to mitigate the high volatility and pricing pressures associated with traditional marine ingredients like fishmeal. This adoption is further accelerated by advancements in feed processing that enhance the digestibility and protein availability of corn products. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture reports consistent domestic abundance, ensuring a stable supply chain that protects producers from global market fluctuations and cements corn as a vital component in modern feed formulations.

Regional Insights

The Midwest United States currently stands as the leading region in the United States Aquafeed Market, primarily due to its status as the nation’s agricultural heartland. This region possesses a strategic advantage in sourcing essential raw materials, specifically corn and soybeans, which are critical components for cost-effective feed formulations. Consequently, major market players have concentrated their manufacturing and research facilities in the area to leverage this proximity to ingredients. The combination of abundant resources and a strong industrial infrastructure allows the Midwest to dominate the sector through superior production capacity and continuous product innovation.

Recent Developments

• In November 2024, Cargill released its annual impact report for its aqua nutrition business, highlighting substantial progress in sustainability initiatives relevant to the United States aquafeed market. The company reported the successful implementation of regenerative agriculture practices across more than 1.1 million acres of North American farmland, a critical source of ingredients for its aquafeed formulations. This effort to lower the carbon footprint of raw materials aligns with the growing demand for environmentally responsible feed solutions. The report also detailed the company's achievement of its carbon reduction targets ahead of schedule, underscoring a major shift toward sustainable supply chains in the industry.
• In July 2024, Merck Animal Health announced the completion of its acquisition of the aqua business of Elanco Animal Health Incorporated. This strategic transaction, valued at approximately US$1.3 billion, significantly expanded the company's portfolio in the United States aquafeed market by integrating a range of medicines, vaccines, and nutritional supplements for aquatic species. The acquisition included two manufacturing facilities and a research center, strengthening the company's ability to provide comprehensive health and nutrition solutions. This consolidation is expected to enhance innovation in aquafeed additives and support the long-term sustainability and productivity of the aquaculture industry in North America.
• In July 2024, Skretting officially ceased operations at its aquafeed production facility in Tooele, Utah. The company attributed the closure to stagnant market conditions within the United States and a significant decline in the salmon farming sector in the Pacific Northwest. Despite this reduction in manufacturing capacity, the company reaffirmed its commitment to the United States aquafeed market, stating that it would optimize its supply chain to serve domestic customers from its other North American facilities. This development highlights the ongoing adjustments in production infrastructure to align with regional demand shifts in the United States aquaculture industry.
• In May 2024, the Center for Aquaculture Technologies, a San Diego-based research and development organization, announced the strategic spin-out of its Canadian subsidiary into an independent entity. This corporate restructuring was implemented to allow the United States operations to concentrate exclusively on advancing aquaculture genetics and genome editing technologies. The separation enables the United States entity to streamline its focus on high-impact genetic solutions while the new independent company specializes in health and nutrition trials. This move is anticipated to accelerate the development of novel technologies and services available to companies in the United States aquafeed market.

Key Market Players

• Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
• Ridley USA Inc.
• Cargill, Inc.
• Nutreco USA Inc.
• Alltech Inc.
• Adisseo USA INC.
• Novus International Inc.
• Skretting USA
• Purina Mills, LLC
• C.P. Food Products, Inc.

By Ingredient	By Additives	By Species	By Form	By Lifecycle	By Region
Soybean Fish Meal Corn Fish Oil Additives Others	Amino Acids Vitamins & Minerals Prebiotics & Probiotics Enzymes Antibiotics Other	Fish Crustaceans Molluscs Other	Dry Form Wet Form Moist Form	Grower feed Finisher feed Starter feed Brooder feed	Northeast Midwest South West

Report Scope:

In this report, the United States Aquafeed Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Ingredient:

• Soybean
• Fish Meal
• Corn
• Fish Oil
• Additives
• Others

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Additives:

• Amino Acids
• Vitamins & Minerals
• Prebiotics & Probiotics
• Enzymes
• Antibiotics
• Other

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Species:

• Fish
• Crustaceans
• Molluscs
• Other

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Form:

• Dry Form
• Wet Form
• Moist Form

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Lifecycle:

• Grower feed
• Finisher feed
• Starter feed
• Brooder feed

• United States Aquafeed Market, By Region:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West