In 2024, Germany's pet food sales inched up 1.3%, reaching total sales of €4.3 billion (US$4.9 billion), according to data released by the German Pet Trade and Industry Association (ZZF).
"In spite of the generally tense economic situation, the German pet industry was able to maintain a high sales level similar to previous years in 2024. Brick-and-mortar specialist and food retailers recorded sales of just under €5.4 billion, a slight increase of 0.9%," ZZF said in a statement. "This was supplemented by a robust €1.5 billion from online sales and €145 million for wild bird food. Thus, the total sales of the German pet industry last year amounted to around €7 billion."
Germany's cat food market reported growth last year, with sales reaching some €2.3 billion at brick-and-mortar stores, up 3.5% compared with 2023.
"This continued to be the largest pet food segment. The most important growth driver was dry food, which grew by 5.9% to €377 million. The snacks segment, including cat milk (€369 million, up 3.9%) and wet food (around €1.5 billion, up 2.9%), also performed well," according to the ZZF.
In contrast to cat food sales, Germany's dog food segment reported a slight decline of 0.7% last year, with sales totaling around €1.8 billion in traditional channels.
"While sales in the treats segment increased (€752 million, up 1.5%), the opposite trend was observed for wet food (€593 million, down 2%) and dry food (€414 million, down 2.8%)," the association indicated.
In its market commentary, the ZZF was referring to the weak economic forecast for the German economy. A May 2025 macroeconomic study by the European Commission states that, after contracting for two years in a row, Germany's economic activity is expected to broadly stagnate this year.
"Trade tensions are set to significantly weigh on exports, though private consumption is projected to expand slightly in 2025, boosted by increases in purchasing power and lower interest rates," the Commission said in its analysis. At the same time, in 2026, "growth is projected to rebound to 1.1%, as domestic demand strengthens, driven by continued consumption growth and a gradual recovery in investment."
Commenting on the outlook for Germany's pet food industry, Norbert Holthenrich, the ZZF's president, said that while the country's "pet owners care about the well-being of their pets," because of "the strained financial situation, some have postponed major investments in things like dog accessories, small animal enclosures, or aquarium technology."
India's GreenGrahi secures funds for expansion
GreenGrahi’s products include protein supplements for cats, dogs and fish.GreenGrahi
"At GreenGrahi, we're thrilled to announce the successful close of our Seed Round ... backed by leading investors Avaana Capital, Huddle Ventures, Campus Fund, Blume Ventures Founders Fund, and an incredible group of angels and mentors including Dave Chen, Anchit Gupta, Nitin Sharma, Sameer Brij Verma, Karan Nand Lal Garg," Siddarth Sharma, the company's co-founder, said in a social media post.
Sharma said that the firm's "ingredients are already driving performance and yield improvements across aquaculture, poultry, agriculture, and even pet health — and now, we're scaling globally and investing deeper into R&D to launch the next generation of functional, high-impact products."
GreenGrahi's products include protein supplements for cats, dogs and fish.
"With this milestone, we're building India's largest Black Soldier Fly (BSF) bio-factory focused on revolutionizing sustainable food systems through insect-based alternative proteins and agri-biologicals," the entrepreneur said.
Set up in 2021 by recycling expert Shivali Sugand and Sharma, the company is based in New Delhi, India.
