Vitamin A is mainly used in the field of feed, and there is still room for development in the future
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, not a single compound, including A1 and A2. A1 is retinal pigment, mainly distributed in animal liver, blood and eye retina. A2, or 3-dehydroretinol, is an important component of human visual cells. As a feed additive, Vitamin A can maintain normal visual function, maintain the active growth and reproduction of bones, inhibit tumor growth, and greatly promote the healthy growth and development of feed animals.
The synthesis methods of Vitamin A are divided into Roche method and BASF method, both of which use citral as the intermediate. The Roche method has the adVitamin Antage of mature technology. Simple raw materials can be used to obtain Vitamin A with stable yields, but high yields cannot be obtained when the yields are stable, and the raw materials will cause certain corrosion to the equipment. At present, DSM, Xinhecheng and Jindawei have all adopted this process. The BASF process is simple and the acetylene yield is high, but the cost is high and acetylene is toxic. Currently BASF (BASF), Zhejiang Pharmaceutical and Adiso are all using this process.
According to a report released by Arshine Research Center
“2022-2026 Global Vitamin A Industry In-depth Market Research and Key Regional Research Report”
It shows that from the perspective of global market supply, Vitamin A production barriers are high, and global production capacity and output are relatively stable. At present, the global annual output of Vitamin A is about 38,000 tons, and the global Vitamin A output has grown steadily in 20 years, from 25,000 tons in 2015 to 32,000 tons. From the perspective of the overall vitamin market size, the overall growth of the industry remains stable. In 2020, the market size of my country’s vitamin industry is US$3.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. The market size is expected to reach $3.9 billion by 2022.
In terms of Vitamin A application structure analysis, in 2020, Vitamin A downstream feed demand will account for 85%, pharmaceutical and chemical industry will account for 8%, and food and beverage will account for 6%. In the Vitamin A feed demand structure, pig feed accounts for the largest proportion, accounting for 42%, so the operation of the Vitamin A market is closely related to the breeding industry.
In terms of import and export, the import volume of vitamin A in my country is basically stable, and the export volume is larger than the import volume, with a large change. In 2021, China will import 13,600 tons of vitamin A and export 5,800 tons. From the regional distribution of export quantity, my country mainly exports vitamin A to Europe, North America and Asia. In terms of country distribution, the United States and Germany are China’s main exporters, accounting for 55% of China’s exports.
The global Vitamin A manufacturers are foreign DSM, ArshineFeed，BASF, Andisol (foreign factories) and domestic Xincheng, Jindawei, and Zhejiang Medicine. In 2020, DSM, BASF, Zhejiang Medicine, and Xincheng will account for 80% of the production capacity. Severe oligopoly and high industrial concentration. In addition, Vitamin A production barriers are high, the global supply pattern is relatively stable, and most manufacturers have no plans to expand production.
Industry analysis
According to sources, vitamin A is widely used in over-the-counter medicines, nutritional supplements, feed additives and the food processing industry. With the improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people, the demand for vitamin A will further increase. It is foreseeable that with the full implementation of food nutrition fortification in my country, the market demand for vitamin A will increase substantially.
