Following the highly regarded annual Global Feed Survey, Alltech has completed a deeper analysis of the growing aquaculture feed sector and the increased finisher feed prices worldwide.
“Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of the feed industry,” said Aidan Connolly, Alltech’s chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts.
“When we published our 2016 Global Feed Survey, we were presented with more questions regarding the aquaculture sector than any other species. No one else has investigated the aquaculture industry in this way and we thought it was time to fulfil that need.”
In 2015, China led global aquaculture feed production with 17.3 million tonnes at an average cost per finisher diet of US$850. Vietnam and Norway followed with 2.8 and 1.789 million tonnes respectively, however, the average finisher diets were much higher in cost, with Vietnam at $1,333 and Norway at $1,100.
The most expensive finisher diets originated from the Asia-Pacific region, with Korea at $1,800 and Japan at $1,700. Nearly 50% of survey responses indicated their region’s aqua finisher diets were more than $1,000 on average.
Shrimp accounted for 21% of aqua feed production worldwide, with 82% coming from Asia (India at 66%, Thailand at 42% and Indonesia at 33%). Salmon feed production represented 11% of total aqua feed production, and at 52%, Europe was the number one player in this species sector.
Alltech’s overall 2016 Global Feed Survey estimated international feed tonnage is now at 995.6 million metric tonnes, a 2% increase over last year and a 14% increase since 2011.
