On-farm aquafeed production for small-scale freshwater aquaculture

Abstract

With the increasing demand for food fish as the primary source of dietary protein, some aquaculture practices have shifted from traditional to semi-intensive or intensive system, requiring the use of feeds for successful growth of aquaculture. Alone, feeds are considered as a costly input in aquaculture, comprising over 50 % of the total operating costs. Most, if not all farms in the country, are relying on commercial feeds which are either imported or locally produced. For many years, locally available materials have been studied for their potential as alternative protein sources or feed additives in fish feeds. Utilization of these alternative or non-conventional feed sources with little or no use as human food may provide reasonable options in feed formulation. In the Philippines, there is a potential for fish farmers to develop and utilize local feedstuff resources to manufacture their own feeds. However, limited information on nutrient requirements of fish species, available feed ingredients and their nutritional value, processing techniques, and the preparation of farm-made feeds are available to the small-scale farmers. Given the rising cost of feeds, it is important to provide small scale farm operators, the option to make their own feeds. This manual is written for fish farmers engaged in small-scale freshwater fish culture, particularly during grow-out. It intends to provide information on the components of fish feed, indigenous or locally sourced ingredients for feeds and their processing techniques, and ultimately to assist the small-scale fish farmers in using modest equipment to make farm- made feeds to feed their stocks.