Feed such as grass, hay, and silage comes almost entirely from Switzerland. The situation is different for concentrate feed: by weight, 55 % comes from abroad, and for protein it is even 69 % (Agristat, average of the years 2016 to 2018). The degree to which a species depends on imports varies widely: for cattle, sheep, and goats the import share is below 10 %, for pigs about half, and for poultry about three‑quarters. In total, 84 % of all animal feed comes from the domestic market. This high figure masks how import‑dependent individual species actually are when it comes to concentrate feed.Why do 55% and 69% differ? Feed can be measured in three ways: by weight, by energy content, or by protein content. All three measures are differently import‑dependent: 55% by weight, 56% by energy, 69% by protein. Protein is the scarcest nutrient in Swiss feed production, so the import share is particularly high here, mainly because of soy products.
There are also large differences between animal species: ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats efficiently utilize roughage and source over 90% of their feed domestically. Pigs and poultry, on the other hand, rely on concentrate feed and are consequently more import‑dependent: about half of pig feed and roughly three‑quarters of poultry feed come from imports.
Feed imports have been steadily increasing since the 1990s. Between 2009 and 2019, total feed imports rose by 27%, and imports of energy‑rich feedstuffs increased again by 36% between 2014 and 2024.
As a result of these imports, at least 200,000 hectares abroad are cultivated for Swiss animal feed, mainly for soy, feed grains, and corn.