Affordable Fish Feed Production: Formulation and Pelleting of Low-Cost Feeds

Empowering Aquaculture with Affordable Feeds

Formulation and Pelleting of Low-Cost Feeds" is a critical aquaculture technology that aims to reduce the high cost of fish feeds in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fish farming operations often allocate a significant portion of their budget, around 60% to 70%, for imported or overseas blended feed ingredients. This technology facilitates the local production of affordable, nutritionally balanced fish feeds. By leveraging extrusion and pelleting techniques, it enhances feed stability, nutrient delivery, and ease of handling. This innovation has the potential to significantly boost the profitability and sustainability of fish farming businesses in the region.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Project adoption

Technology integrated in the PROMAC project in Benin

Beneficiaries: 238 actors trained in fish feed formulation under TAAT Phase I

Budget: ~USD 77.64 million

Implementation period: Dec 2023 – Dec 2028

Goal: annual production of 30,000 tons of fish feed

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

High Cost of Fish Feeds: Fish farming in Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant constraints due to the expensive nature of suitable fish feeds.
Reliance on Imported Ingredients: A substantial portion of operating expenses for fish farmers is allocated to imported or overseas blended feed ingredients.
Inefficient Nutrient Transfer: The use of simple ingredients like unprocessed grains results in poor stability in water, hindering nutrient transfer and increasing pollution.
Storage and Transportation Difficulties: Handling and storing feeds made from basic ingredients can be challenging, impacting their transport and storage.
Limited Profitability: High costs and inefficiencies in feed production can reduce the profitability of fish farming businesses.

Solution

Formulation of Affordable Fish Feeds: The technology focuses on formulating and manufacturing affordable fish feeds by combining locally grown crop and animal products and utilizing extrusion and pelleting technologies.
Improved Nutrient Transfer and Reduced Pollution: Pelleted fish feeds are more stable in water compared to simple ingredients like unprocessed grains. This enhances nutrient transfer to fish and reduces pollution in aquaculture ponds.
Enhanced Storage and Transport: Pellets are easier to store, package, and transport, contributing to cost-effective distribution.
Customization for Different Species: The technology allows for the customization of feeds to suit the feeding requirements and growth stages of various farmed fish species, including omnivorous and carnivorous species.
Quick Returns on Investment: Pelleting technology offers a relatively modest investment requirement with quick returns, making it an attractive and profitable business venture for feed producers.
Optimization of Feed Formulations: The technology enables the selection of feed ingredients based on availability, price, and nutrient quality to create nutritionally balanced feeds while minimizing production and delivery costs. It also helps reduce waste and pollution in aquaculture ponds.

Key points to design your program

Affordable Fish Feed Production strengthens aquaculture value chains by improving the availability, affordability, and quality of fish feed produced from locally available ingredients. The technology addresses one of the major constraints to profitable aquaculture by reducing feed costs, improving feed quality, and strengthening local feed supply systems. By replacing imported feed ingredients with locally formulated and pelleted feeds, it improves feed efficiency, reduces production costs, and supports more sustainable aquaculture production. The technology is well suited for food security, aquaculture development, agribusiness, and blue economy programmes, contributing to SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). It also creates business opportunities for women and youth through feed manufacturing, distribution, and aquaculture service enterprises. To successfully integrate this technology, consider the following key actions:

Identify priority aquaculture hubs where feed availability, affordability, and quality constrain fish production, while assessing local market demand and the availability of suitable crop and animal feed ingredients.
Establish partnerships with WorldFish, research institutions, extension services, feed manufacturers, aquaculture cooperatives, and private-sector partners to support feed formulation, quality assurance, and technology dissemination.
Invest in local feed production facilities, including feed-processing equipment, extrusion and pelleting systems, storage facilities, and quality control infrastructure adapted to local production needs.
Strengthen local supply chains by supporting the sourcing, aggregation, storage, and processing of locally available feed ingredients to improve feed availability and reduce dependence on imported feeds.
Train feed manufacturers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, extension agents, and women and youth groups on feed formulation, species-specific feed production, equipment operation, quality assurance, and business management.
Promote the production of floating pellets for surface-feeding species and sinking pellets for bottom-feeding species, while integrating locally produced feeds with improved fish strains and good aquaculture management practices.
Strengthen quality assurance and certification systems to ensure locally manufactured feeds comply with national nutritional standards and provide consistent product quality.
Monitor programme performance through indicators such as local feed production, feed quality, feed availability, enterprise profitability, fish productivity, and the participation of women and youth.

85,000 USD

Equipment of production

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology\’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology\’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project to Promote Aquaculture and the Competitiveness of Fisheries Value Chains (PROMAC)

Project funder: African Development Fund (ADF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), Dutch Cooperation, Government of Benin, project beneficiaries
Planned Budget: UA 77.639 million (~USD 77.64 million)
Location: Benin – seafront (Mono, Atlantic, Littoral, Ouémé), southern/central catchments (Mono, Atlantic, Ouémé, Zou), northern/central reservoirs (Collines, Zou, Alibori, Atacora, Donga, Borgou)
Planned duration: Dec 2023 – Dec 2028 (5 years)
Deployment means: Infrastructure construction/rehabilitation (aquaculture villages, landing points, markets), distribution of equipment (improved stoves, solar dryers, refrigerated vehicles), technical/entrepreneurial training, facilitating access to financial services
Project main implementer: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP), Republic of Benin
Project Description: Transform Benin’s fisheries and aquaculture sector through climate-resilient technologies, modernized hatcheries/feed mills, aquaculture villages, post-harvest processing improvements, and better market access
Objective: Increase fisheries and aquaculture contribution to local/national economies and strengthen food security/sovereignty
Expected outcome: +30,000 tonnes of fish annually, reduced post-capture losses, creation of 200,000 jobs, 15% income increase for vulnerable operators
Figures of adoption: 673,000 direct/indirect beneficiaries (63,000 in aquaculture, 610,000 in fishing), 6 aquaculture villages, 250 ha ponds, 56,000 m³ cages, 10,550 people trained
Profiles of adopters: Small-scale fishermen, fish farmers, fishmongers, processors; 50% women; significant youth involvement
Lessons learnt: Access to microfinance is critical, robust M&E systems are essential, permanent technical structures improve sustainability and ensure long-term impact

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Cameroon	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Djibouti	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Equatorial Guinea	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Liberia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Madagascar	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Source Quality Ingredients: Ensure that locally sourced feed ingredients are of high quality and competitively priced, taking into account toxin levels and substances affecting palatability and water stability in feed formulation.
Grinding Raw Materials: Use a hammer mill to grind the raw materials into a fine powder. Smaller particle sizes are preferable as they enhance digestibility, cohesiveness, and water stability. Sun or oven dry the materials before grinding, and ensure uniform particle size for different ingredients.
Mixing Ingredients: Homogenize the ingredients by mixing them manually to create a mash, or for large-scale feed production, use a mechanical mixer.
Adding Binders (if needed): If the cereals in the formula do not provide adequate binding, consider adding cassava starch or a similar product as a binder.
Moistening Raw Materials: Just before extrusion, moisten the raw materials to ensure they adhere together.
Wet Extrusion: Use wet-type steam pelletizers for extrusion, which helps gelatinize starch, further improving the nutritional value of the feed.
Pellet Size: Ensure that the diameter of the pellets is at least 4 millimeters, suitable for most adult fish.