ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂƌĞ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ŝŶ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ƉƌŽƉŽƐĞĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ͕
ǁŚĞŶĨƵůůLJŽŶůŝŶĞĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚĞŶĞdžƚĨĞǁLJĞĂƌƐ͕ǁŽƵůĚĞƋƵĂƚĞ
to more than 20 mmt of feedstock demand with preference
given to low-carbon feedstocks, which consist of rendered
ĨĂƚƐ͕ƵƐĞĚĐŽŽŬŝŶŐŽŝů;hKͿ͕ĂŶĚĚŝƐƟůůĞƌƐĐŽƌŶŽŝů͘/ĨĚĞŵĂŶĚ
ĨƌŽŵƚŚĞĨƵĞůƐĞĐƚŽƌĐŽŶƟŶƵĞƐ͕ƚŚĞhŶŝƚĞĚ^ƚĂƚĞƐŝƐůŝŬĞůLJƚŽ
be a net importer of low-carbon feedstocks like rendered fats
in the near future.
h^ ƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚ ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶ ŵĞĂů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ϰ͘ϲ ŵŵƚ ŝŶ
ϮϬϮϬ͕ĚŽǁŶŶĞĂƌůLJϱƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵϮϬϭϵ͘WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶŽĨŵĞĂƚ
ĂŶĚďŽŶĞŵĞĂů;Ğ͘Ő͕͘ƉŽƌĐŝŶĞ͕ƌƵŵŝŶĂŶƚ͕ĂŶĚŵŝdžĞĚͲƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ
meals) totaled nearly 2.5 mmt last year, down 8 percent from
ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ LJĞĂƌ͘ WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƉŽƵůƚƌLJͲďĂƐĞĚ ŵĞĂůƐ ǁĂƐ
nearly 1.6 mmt in 2020, an increase of 2 percent, and feather
meal was at 553,500 mt, down 8 percent from the previous
LJĞĂƌ͘/ŵƉŽƌƚƐŽĨƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚƉƌŽƚĞŝŶŵĞĂůƐǁĂƐĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJ
117,700 mt, a bump of almost 8 percent from 2019. The vast
majority of the protein meal imports went to the growing
US pet food sector. Demand for rendered animal proteins
ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐĂůůLJŚĂƐďĞĞŶŶĞŐĂƟǀĞůLJĂīĞĐƚĞĚďLJƚŚĞĂůůͲǀĞŐĞƚĂƌŝĂŶ
ĚŝĞƚƚƌĞŶĚďLJƉŽƵůƚƌLJƉƌŽĚƵĐĞƌƐ͘ŽŵĞƐƟĐĐŽŶƐƵŵƉƟŽŶŚĂƐ
ďĞĞŶĨĂŝƌůLJŇĂƚŽǀĞƌƚŚĞůĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐǁŚŝůĞĞdžƉŽƌƚƐŚĂǀĞŵŽƌĞ
than doubled since 2015.
Exports Remain Critical
EZ͛ƐĞdžƉŽƌƚƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐŚĂǀĞďĞĞŶĞƐƐĞŶƟĂůŝŶĞdžƉĂŶĚŝŶŐ
ĂŶĚŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐĞdžŝƐƟŶŐŵĂƌŬĞƚƐĨŽƌƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚƉƌŽƚĞŝŶŵĞĂůƐ͘
/ŶϮϬϮϬ͕ϮϰƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŽĨƚŽƚĂůh^ƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ
ǁĂƐĞdžƉŽƌƚĞĚ͕ĂϵƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞŽǀĞƌƚŚĞƉĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐ͘
KĨƚŚĂƚ͕ϮϲƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŽĨƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚƉƌŽƚĞŝŶŵĞĂůƐǁĞƌĞĞdžƉŽƌƚĞĚ͕
ƵƉϯƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵϮϬϭϵĂŶĚϵƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŽǀĞƌƚŚĞƉĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐ͘
&ĂƚĞdžƉŽƌƚƐĂĐĐŽƵŶƚĞĚĨŽƌϮϮƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŽĨƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶůĂƐƚLJĞĂƌ͕Ă
jump of 7 percent from the previous year and 9 percent over
ƚŚĞƉĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐ͘dŚĞŐƌŽǁƚŚŝŶĨĂƚĞdžƉŽƌƚƐǁĂƐĚƵĞŵŽƐƚůLJ
ƚŽŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐŝŶhKĂŶĚƚĂůůŽǁĨŽƌƌĞŶĞǁĂďůĞĚŝĞƐĞůƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ
overseas.
Continued on page 13
EĂƟŽŶĂů ŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ^ƚĂƟƐƟĐƐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ;E^^Ϳ͕ ƚŽƚĂů ĐĂƩůĞ
slaughter in 2020 was 32.8 million head, down more than 2
ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵϮϬϭϵ͕ďƵƚƵƉϳƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐƉƌŝŽƌ͘dŚĞ
ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞĐĂƩůĞůŝǀĞǁĞŝŐŚƚǁĂƐϭ͕ϯϳϯƉŽƵŶĚƐ͕ƵƉϮƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵ
the previous year. Hog slaughter was 131.5 million head, up
slightly more than 1 percent. Annual hog slaughter has risen
ϭϭƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŝŶƚŚĞƉĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐĂŶĚϭϵƉĞƌĐĞŶƚŝŶƚŚĞƉĂƐƚ
10 years. Average hog liveweight was 289 pounds in 2020, up
1 percent from a year earlier. Chicken slaughter topped 9.3
billion head, a slight bump from 2019, but a 5 percent gain
ŽǀĞƌƚŚĞƉĂƐƚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐ͘dƵƌŬĞLJƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶǁĂƐϮϮϯŵŝůůŝŽŶ
head, down 18 percent from the previous year due to COVID-
ϭϵͲƌĞůĂƚĞĚĚŝƐƌƵƉƟŽŶƐ͘
US rendered product production statistics in table 2
are compiled using the USDA/NASS Fats and Oils: Oilseed
Crushings, Production, Consumption, and Stocks Annual
Summary ƌĞƉŽƌƚ͘ /Ŷ ϮϬϮϬ͕ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ Ăůů ƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚ
products was 10.2 million metric tons (mmt), a drop of more
than 4 percent from 2019.
dŽƚĂůh^ĨĂƚƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶůĂƐƚLJĞĂƌǁĂƐϱ͘ϲŵŵƚ͕ĚŽǁŶŵŽƌĞ
than 4 percent from the previous year. Of that, total tallow
ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶǁĂƐϮ͘ϲŵŵƚ͕ĂĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞŽĨϲƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĨƌŽŵϮϬϭϵ͘
WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶŽĨŝŶĞĚŝďůĞƚĂůůŽǁǁĂƐϭ͘ϲŵŵƚ͕ĚŽǁŶϴƉĞƌĐĞŶƚ͕
technical tallow was 573,000 mt, a slight drop, and edible
tallow was 426,200 mt, down nearly 6 percent from 2019.
>ĂƐƚLJĞĂƌƐĂǁƌĞĐŽƌĚŝŵƉŽƌƚƐŽĨƌĞŶĚĞƌĞĚĨĂƚƐŝŶƚŽƚŚĞ
United States at 351,300 mt, a jump of 13 percent from 2019.
These imports are being fueled by demand from the renewable
fuel sector, which includes renewable diesel, biodiesel, and
ĐŽͲƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞĚĚŝĞƐĞů͘dŚŝƐŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚĚĞŵĂŶĚĐĂŶďĞĂƩƌŝďƵƚĞĚ
ƚŽĂůŝĨŽƌŶŝĂ͛Ɛ>ŽǁĂƌďŽŶ&ƵĞů^ƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ;>&^ͿƉƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞĨŽƌ
low-carbon feedstocks along with the federal Renewable Fuel
Standard. Imports of tallow topped 243,000 mt, up almost
27 percent from 2019. Since 2015, imports of tallow have
skyrocketed 280 percent.
A January 2021 article in Biodiesel Magazine titled
͞ZĞŶĞǁĂďůĞ ŝĞƐĞů͛Ɛ ZŝƐŝŶŐ dŝĚĞ͟ ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ
ƉƌŽƉŽƐĞĚ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ϭϰ ƌĞŶĞǁĂďůĞ ĚŝĞƐĞů ƉůĂŶƚƐ͕ ĨŽƵƌ ŽĨ
Table 1. Average annual prices of select rendered products, 2015–2020 (per metric ton)
% Change
Product (Location) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 19/20
Fats
Beef tallow, packer (Chicago) $581 $638 $682 $556 $600 $678 13
Choice white grease (Missouri River) $498 $537 $549 $463 $512 $534 4
Edible tallow (Chicago) $638 $714 $762 $690 $748 $828 11
Edible tallow (Gulf) $563 $746 $731 $662 $740 $739 0
Lard (Chicago) $670 $708 $729 $718 $683 $820 20
Poultry fat (Mid-South) $502 $546 $605 $566 $564 $558 -1
Yellow grease (Missouri River) $462 $505 $524 $408 $466 $461 -1
Protein meals
Blood meal, porcine (Midwest) $1,086 $899 $968 $822 $732 $910 24
Blood meal, ruminant (Missouri River) $1,070 $857 $931 $790 $714 $853 20
Feather meal (Mid-South) $521 $391 $437 $497 $390 $347 -11
Meat and bone meal, porcine (Missouri River) $377 $314 $314 $308 $234 $285 22
Meat and bone meal, ruminant (Missouri River) $359 $294 $273 $263 $215 $239 11
Poultry by-product meal, 57% protein (Mid-South) $447 $330 $306 $295 $266 $277 4
Poultry by-product meal, 67% protein (Mid-South) $602 $614 $688 $721 $577 $698 21
Source: The Jacobsen
www.rendermagazine.com RenderപƉƌŝůϮϬϮϭപ11
/www.rendermagazine.com