January 31, 2018
Carp leads aquaculture feed production
Aquaculture feed produced last year catered more to carps than any other farmed aqua products.
Of the total production of aquaculture feed in 2017, 30% consisted of carp feed, followed by shrimp/prawn (15%) and tilapia (13%) feeds, according to the 2018 Alltech Global Feed Survey.
Catfish, salmon and trout feeds also ranked, though to lesser degrees (9%, 7% and 3%, respectively). Seabass/sea bream feed constituted only 2% of total aqua feed production last year, while "other" category feeds altogether constituted 21%.
The survey said that aquaculture feeds remained stable overall in 2017, with production slightly declining in the Asia-Pacific and European regions but increasing in Latin America and the Middle East.
Aquaculture feed production also mainly increased in African countries, but one of the larger producers, Egypt, saw a decline.
The survey noted, in particular, the 5% decline in aqua feed output in China in 2017 and 2016 and, to a lesser degree, in the rest of Asia-Pacific, which has been linked to changes in consumption, disease outbreaks and a consolidation of the industry.
"Additionally, government controls on feeding practices and food safety, particularly the administration of antibiotics, may be having an influence on production levels", the survey report said.
It said farmed fish has experienced strong growth over the past 10 years, and that aquaculture is replacing wild fishing as the primary source of fish for human consumption. Rick Alberto
