Amino acids (lysine, methionine): Overview
How a pinch of methionine replaces sacks of soymeal
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan and valine are added to pig and poultry feed so animals get the protein building blocks they need without excess soymeal. Lysine and threonine are fermented from maize glucose; methionine is mostly made chemically from propylene, methanol, hydrogen sulphide and natural gas-derived hydrogen cyanide. China supplied about 4.89 Mt of feed amino acids in 2024, about 70% of the world (Faxian Gongchang estimate, 2026; indicative (unverified)). Methionine demand was about 1.94 Mt in 2025 (Mordor via GII). India makes almost none and imports its needs.
Volume about 7 Mt of feed amino acids (2024, indicative (unverified), derived from Faxian Gongchang: China 4.89 Mt at about 70% global share); methionine about 1.94 Mt (2025); lysine about 2.94 Mt produced in 2022 Market value about $12-15 billion (2024-2025, indicative: lysine about 3.5 Mt x $1.0-1.3/kg plus methionine 1.94 Mt x $2.8-3.5/kg) Growth methionine 6.45% a year in volume to 2.81 Mt by 2031 (Mordor via GII); China feed amino acid supply grew 12.9% in 2024 (Faxian Gongchang) Faxian Gongchang China Amino Acids 2026; Mordor Intelligence via GII (methionine, 2026); Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire (lysine 2022); value derived, indicativeKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry feed (broilers and layers) | 45% | about 3.2 Mtbasis | Methionine is the first limiting amino acid for poultry; adding about 2-3 kg per t of feed replaces much more soymeal. Broilers are the fastest-growing meat, so poultry leads methionine demand. indicative; Mordor via GII (feed grade 89.19% of methionine) | More soymeal and fishmeal Insect and single-cell protein |
| Swine feed | 40% | about 2.8 Mtbasis | Lysine is the first limiting amino acid for pigs. China's pig herd, the world's largest, is the main buyer of lysine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. indicative; Faxian Gongchang 2026 (swine as largest lysine use) | Higher-protein diets with more soymeal |
| Aquaculture and pet food | 8% | about 0.56 Mtbasis | Fish feed is moving from fishmeal to plant proteins, which need added methionine and lysine. indicative | Fishmeal |
| Dairy and beef (rumen-protected methionine and lysine) | 3% | about 0.21 Mtbasis | Coated or analogue forms pass the rumen and raise milk protein; sold at RMB 80-120/kg against RMB 20-25/kg for regular methionine (Faxian Gongchang). Faxian Gongchang 2026; share indicative | Higher-protein concentrates |
| Food, pharma and other (glutamate excluded) | 4% | about 0.28 Mtbasis | Infusions, supplements and flavours use pharma-grade amino acids; methionine food grade is under 1% of methionine (Mordor via GII). Mordor via GII; indicative | Protein hydrolysates |
From raw material to user
- Crop and gas Maize starch (China, US, Indonesia, Brazil) supplies glucose for lysine and threonine; propylene, methanol, sulphur and natural gas supply methionine.
- Fermentation or synthesis Corynebacterium glutamicum ferments lysine; E. coli ferments threonine and tryptophan; methionine is synthesised via acrolein, methyl mercaptan and HCN.
- Recovery Lysine is sold as 98% lysine HCl crystals or as 70% lysine sulphate with dried biomass; methionine as 99% DL-methionine powder or 88% liquid hydroxy analogue.
- Premix and feed mill Premixers and feed mills dose a few kg per t of feed using least-cost formulation software.
- Animal Balanced diets cut crude protein, soymeal and nitrogen in manure.
Made from (commodity table)
Mz MaizeSu SugarGas Natural gasThree things to know
- China held about 76% of world lysine capacity and 93% of threonine capacity in 2023 (Faxian Gongchang, 2026).
- Meihua's Jilin sites reached about 1.3 Mt a year of lysine capacity in early 2026 (0.7 Mt existing plus the 0.6 Mt Baicheng line ramping from Q1 2026), nearly 30% of world capacity (Faxian Gongchang citing company reports, 2026; indicative (unverified)).
- The EU imposed anti-dumping duties of 47.7-58.2% on Chinese lysine from 12 July 2025: Meihua 47.7%, other cooperating firms 53.1%, Eppen and all others 58.2% (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1330).