Finfish Feed Technology in Nigeria

Abstract

Finfish feed technology and the Nigerian economy. The cost of feed claims over half of the total budget for most fish farms. Consequently, it is very important for a fish farmer to get the optimum performing feed for the most economical price. The production of nutritionally balanced diets for fish requires efforts in research, quality control, and biological evaluation. Faculty nutrition obviously impairs fish productivity and results in deterioration of health until recognizable diseases ensures. The first and foremost criterion is that diets should supply all the essential nutrients and energy in adequate proportions to satisfy the requirements for growth, health and well-being of the fin fish concerned. In developing practical diets using ‘least-cost” formulations, the choice and level of incorporation of the different ingredients should be based on available nutrient/energy content of each ingredient rather than on the basis of crude chemical composition of the ingredients. The technologies of feed manufacture vary considerably depending upon the species or the stage of the life cycle. Nigeria has a large animal feed production industry of some 3.5 million tons/production per year. With 115 feed mills listed in a national inventory, but due to inconsistencies and varying availability, many larger farmers have invested in on-farm feed production, for which the quantity of production is unclear. Such vertical integration is costly to the farmer who should be buying from the feed industry. The large catfish producers have been frustrated with the poor quality and inconsistency of catfish feeds produced by the major feed mills when available. The lack of quality control and inconsistency in feed content gives unacceptably high feed conversions (1kg gain: 2+kg feed) form local feeds. This has made many fish farmers to use high cost, high quality imported feed; the producers obtain feed conversions of 1:1.5 or even 1:1 or less. This is because the European fish feed suppliers are fully accountable in their delivery of feeds of known quality and quantity of contents. Our government needs to increase its role in setting standards and quality control in the feed industry.