Thailand’s pet food market is evolving rapidly toward two major trends: growth and sustainability. As Asia continues to strengthen its presence in the global pet food market, Thailand’s pet food industry is also expanding steadily. This momentum is supported in large part by the fact that Thailand is the world’s third-largest producer of dog and cat food.
At the same time, interest in the pet food sector is rising both domestically and internationally—Thai companies are included in this wave. For example, Lion Corporation Thailand decided to enter Thailand’s pet food market while expanding its Japanese pet care brand business. In addition, Thailand’s pet food industry is increasingly adopting the BCG economic model, placing strong emphasis on maximizing the use of every part of the tuna supply chain.
Growth of Thailand’s pet food industry
Thailand’s pet food market growth and sustainability trends are becoming a strong tailwind for this Southeast Asian country. At the same time, as the Asian region strengthens its presence in the global pet food market, Thailand’s pet food market continues to expand steadily.
Thailand ranks third in the world as a producer and exporter of dog and cat food. In 2022, Thailand’s global export value reached 79.41 billion baht (approx. USD 1.92 billion) for canned tuna and 85.21 billion baht (approx. USD 2.07 billion) for dog and cat pet food. These figures correspond to 514,071 tons and 818,281 tons, respectively.
Given these numbers, it is unsurprising that Thailand is attracting strong interest from companies seeking to enter the pet food market across Asia.
Lion Corporation Thailand’s challenge
According to the Bangkok Post, Lion Corporation Thailand, a manufacturing company with a 56-year history, is one of the firms preparing to enter Thailand’s large and fast-growing pet food industry.
The company currently manufactures and sells many pet care products in Thailand under its Japanese business brand, Lion Pet Care, and is also planning to import pet food manufactured in Japan. However, it also recognizes that the key to success in Thailand’s pet food sector will be either forming partnerships with local Thai pet food brand manufacturers, or producing original dog and cat pet food from scratch that fits the Thai market.
Boonyarit Mahamontri, the company’s president, has said that Lion believes it is the right time to enter Thailand’s pet market, as it can leverage decades of experience in Japan’s pet food business. He also notes that, as in Japan, the number of consumers in Thailand willing to purchase relatively high-priced pet food products has been increasing.
In the 2022 Petfood Industry pet food company database, many Japanese companies appear among firms based in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, it is also true that two of the top three companies are Thai companies.
Lion is now moving forward in earnest to enter the pet industry, which has recently seen explosive growth, in order to develop new markets.
Major tuna can manufacturers entering pet food
In the second half of 2022, a Thailand-based canned tuna manufacturer also announced that it would begin producing pet food. Thailand’s Department of Business Development under the Ministry of Commerce estimates that by 2026, Thailand’s pet market will grow at an average annual rate of 8.4%, reaching 66.748 billion baht (approx. USD 2.0 billion).
The Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA) and the Thai Petfood Trade Association (TPFA) also announced that they would adopt the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model in order to produce more pet food from tuna.
Their members have incorporated training and educational programs related to the BCG model, and the BCG approach is expected to become part of both associations’ policies going forward.
Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri stated that the BCG model can help prevent the loss and waste of usable tuna parts by incorporating them into the production of premium-grade pet food products intended for export.
Dr. Chanintr Chalisarapong, chairman of both the TTIA and the TPFA, said they will promote the BCG model in the tuna industry and the pet food industry as much as possible. He added that the world is increasingly prioritizing solutions to climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
This environmental issue is also important to Thailand’s economy, and it is incorporated into the content of the Thailand–EU Free Trade Agreement (Thailand–EU FTA). This implies that Thailand’s pet food industry must transform itself and adapt to international regulations.
The BCG economy model is regarded as a national policy in Thailand that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and all living organisms in water and on land. Under the BCG framework, it is believed that both industries (the tuna industry and the pet food industry) can maximize the use of tuna resources in the following ways:
Bio economy
Creating added value by using waste materials as inputs for other products. For example, extracting concentrated tuna extract from tuna offcuts and using it as an additive to increase protein content and palatability in pet food products.
Circular economy
Producing pet food from tuna meat, or using fish bones and internal organs as ingredients for pet food additives (including extracting tuna fish oil).
Green economy
Investing in clean, renewable energy and developing environmentally friendly packaging materials—such as mono-material products and bio-plastics—based on sustainable packaging concepts.
Building a sustainable society through tuna-based initiatives
In Thailand’s pet food industry, there are growing efforts to use every part of tuna without waste. In other words, materials that were previously discarded are being used to enhance pet food value—turning losses into profit while contributing to sustainability.
This includes using concentrated tuna extract to improve flavor, and incorporating by-products such as tuna dark meat, as well as livestock by-products like chicken organs, chicken carcasses, and beef organs as blended ingredients in pet food. Additionally, by utilizing tuna carcasses and bones to produce animal feed, Thailand is pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at contributing to a more sustainable society.