Viability of novel feed ingredients used for aquafeed production in East Africa.

Abstract

Aquaculture, as an emerging venture that fulfills both health and economic needs, is highly dependent on the availability and cost of feeds. Consequently, the economic impact of feeds is a critical factor to address in order to achieve East Africa's projected aquaculture targets by 2030. Given the current logistical challenges related to feed importation, there is a growing urgency for local, backyard feed formulation. This approach involves using a diverse range of ingredients to produce aquafeeds.

As conventional feed ingredients—those typically used in aquafeed—become increasingly scarce due to competing demands, exploring alternative or novel ingredients has become more important than ever. However, the effective use of these novel ingredients requires thorough evaluation.

In this study, we assessed commonly used novel protein feed ingredients in East Africa based on several key factors influencing ingredient viability. These factors included proximate composition, nutrient cost (with proteins evaluated for protein ingredients and lipids for energy ingredients), availability, competing uses, pollution potential, environmental impact, digestibility, and yield per acre for plant-based ingredients. The aim was to provide a comprehensive reference for feed formulators, helping them select ingredients that are both nutritionally and environmentally sustainable.

The findings revealed that blood meal was the most suitable novel protein ingredient, while yeast meal ranked lowest in suitability. However, blood meal also had the highest pollution potential. Therefore, it is recommended to combine various ingredients in feed formulations, as no single ingredient excels across all the evaluated factors.