China is now Alltech's fourth-largest market after the US, Europe and Brazil. The emerging market now accounts for approximately 35 percent of the world's feed tonnage.

"I believe China to be our single-most important market in the future," said Mark.

Alltech has maintained year-on-year growth of more than 20 percent globally for three decades and expects global revenues to reach $4 billion within next few years. Of that, it expects $1 billion will come from China.

Data from the US Department of Agriculture show China's demand for meat has quadrupled over the last 30 years. The country now eats a quarter of the world's supply — 71 million tons a year — and the demand is expected to continue rising.

Annual meat output in China.[Photo/China Daily]

The Chinese diet was largely vegetarian and fish until the economy opened up in the 1980s. Now the average Chinese person eats annually four times as much meat: 37 kilograms of pork, 13 kgs of poultry and 9 kgs of beef and mutton or lamb, according to Companiesandmarkets.com, a market research databases portal.

In addition to meat, the Chinese government predicts milk consumption in China will increase to 300 grams a person every day by 2020.

Annual milk output in China.[Photo/China Daily]

Because of the pace of dramatically rising demand for meat and dairy products, China's animal feed industry is now the largest feed market in the world.

"Food efficiency is very important in China, especially when raw material prices are reaching historically high levels. So, if feed goes well, people can get better food by reducing feed costs while increasing animal performance," said John Strak, honorary professor in Food Economics with the UK's University of Nottingham. "But the challenge for Alltech is they have set high goals in sales. Let's see how they deliver them."