Weakening Demand for Wheat Bran in Animal Feed Industry Leads to Price Decline

The demand for wheat bran in the animal feed manufacturing industry has started to weaken, resulting in a noticeable drop in its prices. According to available data, during the 2022�23 Rabi season, the average price of bran stood at 92% of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat. In the 2023�24 Rabi season, prices increased to ₹2200 per quintal, which was 4% higher than the MSP of ₹2125 per quintal. For the 2024�25 season, the government raised the MSP of wheat by ₹150, setting it at ₹2275 per quintal. In May 2025, bran prices surged to as high as ₹2500 per quintal, but have since fallen to around ₹2000 per quintal. Industry analysts say that the growing popularity and increased supply of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)�a co-product of ethanol production rich in protein�has significantly impacted the demand not only for soybean DOC but also for wheat bran in the production of cattle and poultry feed. As a result, bran consumption is declining, exerting downward pressure on prices. It is important to note that since 2022, the commercial export of wheat and its value-added products such as maida, suji, and bran has been banned. Now, with domestic industrial demand for bran weakening, the wheat processing industry has appealed to the central government to allow bran exports. Industry representatives argue that lifting the export ban could improve the financial health of the wheat processing sector, which is currently operating on very low profit margins. DDGS, being a protein-rich by-product of ethanol production, has increasingly been adopted as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional ingredients like soybean meal and wheat bran in the animal feed industry.

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