Alternatives abound as US soybean price rises

The use of animal feed with lower protein content - with amino acid supplements added to the diet - can reduce demand for soybeans in the poultry and husbandry industry, according to experts.

Qiao Shiyan, director of the National Research Center for Feed Engineering Technology, said using feed with less protein could reduce the need for imported soybeans in the pork industry alone by about 10 million metric tons.

China relies heavily on imported soybeans, mostly for protein-intensive meal for livestock or as chicken feed, he said.