Jinan Zhuocheng Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.

Recently, the core data for China’s poultry egg industry in 2025 was officially released: the country’s total poultry egg production reached 34.98 million tons, and per capita poultry egg consumption rose to 25.4 kg — officially surpassing the average level of developed countries (22–24 kg). This marks a key transition in China’s poultry egg industry from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leap.

01 The industry as a whole has entered a new stage

Poultry eggs are a vital source of high-quality protein in the human diet. Per capita consumption is not only a core indicator of a country’s livestock development level but also an important measure of its capacity to ensure public wellbeing. As the world’s largest producer of poultry eggs, China has ranked first globally for 15 consecutive years. In 2025, its total output accounted for more than 38% of the global total, with eggs representing 85%–88% of that — the absolute core of poultry egg production. This achievement is not accidental but the inevitable result of coordinated efforts in policy guidance, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading.

02 Profound changes in farming models, accelerated scaling up

The rise of China’s poultry egg industry is not solely due to scale expansion but rather the comprehensive implementation of scaled, standardized, and intelligent farming models. In 2025, the number of scaled layer farms with more than 10,000 layers increased by 10.3% year-on-year, and their production capacity accounted for 58% of the total. Among them, 80 farms with more than one million layers had a total inventory exceeding 260 million layers, representing 18.8% of the national layer inventory. Leading enterprises such as Chia Tai Group and Jinlong Group have pioneered “full-industry chain + digitalization” models, using intelligent feeding and precision breeding technologies to significantly improve farming efficiency. Meanwhile, the “company + cooperative + farmer” model now covers 850,000 farming households, effectively guiding the standardized development of small and medium-sized farmers. Objectively speaking, the current scaling rate (farms with over 100,000 layers) in China’s layer farming sector is 45%, still lagging behind the level of over 80% in developed countries — indicating substantial room for further scaling.

03 Independent germplasm breaks reliance on imports

Once heavily dependent on imported layer breeds, China has achieved a leap forward in domestic breed development. In 2025, high-quality domestic layer breeds accounted for 38% of the total inventory, an increase of 4 percentage points year-on-year. Domestic varieties such as “Beijing Pink No. 6” and “Nongjin No. 1” have achieved the internationally leading breeding goal of “500 eggs in 700 days.” The “Fengxin No. 1” gene chip developed by Yufeng Poultry Industry has tripled breeding efficiency, and the “Nongxin V1.0” chip from Beinong Agritech has enabled precision breeding. Domestic breeds now account for more than half of the market share, completely breaking reliance on imports and providing core technological support for increased production capacity.

04 Dual drivers: policy support and consumption upgrading

The General Office of the State Council’s guidelines on promoting high-quality development of livestock industry explicitly call for achieving basic self-sufficiency in poultry eggs, with the scaling rate of livestock farming reaching over 70% by 2025. Local governments have implemented the “vegetable basket” responsibility system for mayors, increasing financial subsidies, farming insurance, and other policy support to effectively lower farming costs. On the consumption side, fresh egg consumption reached 34.8 million tons in 2025, and processed egg consumption reached 6.34 million tons, with market penetration rising to 18%. Demand for deep-processed products such as liquid eggs and functional egg products has grown rapidly. Export markets have continued to expand. In 2025, egg and egg product exports reached 90,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 12.5%, with export value reaching $380 million. Southeast Asia and the Middle East have become key export destinations.

05 Implications for veterinary drug trading companies

These changes present clear opportunities for veterinary drug trading enterprises. First, the shift toward scaled farming is concentrating demand for veterinary medicines. As smallholders exit and large-scale farms increase their share, veterinary drug procurement is shifting from decentralized retail to centralized purchasing. Large-scale farms demand higher quality, stability, and compliance — creating favorable conditions for veterinary drug companies with GMP certification and export qualifications. Second, the localization of germplasm is driving demand for complementary animal health products. As domestic layer breeds gain market share, demand for disease prevention, vaccine matching, and nutritional health products tailored to domestic breeds is growing. Veterinary drug trading companies can collaborate with domestic breeding enterprises to develop targeted products. Third, export destinations overlap significantly. China’s primary egg export destinations — Southeast Asia and the Middle East — are also major export markets for Chinese veterinary drugs, meaning the global expansion of the poultry egg supply chain will drive parallel exports of animal health products. Fourth, the upgrade of deep processing opens new niches. The rise of deep-processed products such as liquid eggs and functional egg products creates new demand for hygiene control, preservatives, and equipment cleaning and disinfection in the egg processing sector — areas worth early investment.

Surpassing developed countries in per capita poultry egg consumption is not only an important milestone in the high-quality development of China’s livestock industry but also a clear signal: China’s poultry egg industry is transitioning from scale leadership to quality leadership. From ensuring access to eggs to ensuring access to quality eggs, from relying on imported germplasm to leading with domestic breeding — each step forward provides clear direction for veterinary drug trading companies: keeping pace with industrial upgrading is the only way to seize the initiative in the next growth cycle.