January | February 2010

Feature title: Impact of rising feed ingredient prices on aquafeeds and

aquaculture production - part 1
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The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

 Feed Management
The first article in a series, taken from a new aquaculture book
D
uring 2007-2008, there
was a soaring increase in
food (particularly cereal
grain) prices all over the
world. This was especially severe in
world’s poorest countries and was
predicted to contribute to about a 56
percent rise in cereal import bills of
those countries in 2007-2008.
This sharp increase in food prices was
due to a number of factors, including
the reduced production of cereal crops
worldwide and continued increases in oil
prices resulting in higher freight cost. There
"In aquaculture, feed accounts
for over 50 percent of the
production cost.
Fishmeal is the single most
important source of protein in
fish feed"
was also the added concern that the use of
certain grains in biofuel production would
further aggravate this problem.
In aquaculture, feed accounts for over
50 percent of the production cost. Although
considerable variation exists, cereal grains
are the usual sources of carbohydrates
in most of the aquafeeds and these can-
30 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2011
Impact of rising feed
ingredient prices
on aquafeeds and
aquaculture production
by Krishen J Rana, Sunil Siriwardena and Mohammad R Hasan
not be economically supplemented with
other sources. Fishmeal is the single most
important source of protein in fish feed.The
increased cost of energy (due primarily to
soaring petroleum prices), El Ni–o effects,
and increasing demand have resulted in
a global increase in fishmeal price. The
world price for fishmeal ranged between
US$500 and US$700 per tonne during the
period 2000–2005. In May 2008, the price of
fishmeal was US$1 210/tonne.
The average price of other feed ingre-
dients commonly used in aquafeed rose by
20–92 percent during the period between
June 2007 and June 2008. The increas-
ing price of feed ingredients
(fishmeal, fish oil and cereal)
and increasing manufacturing
and transportation costs were,
therefore likely to have had
a compound effect on global
production and the price of
aquafeeds. It was reported
that during late 2008, feed
prices had increased by over
30 percent on average in many
of the countries in Asia, while
farmgate prices of aquacul-
ture products had remained
static, literally impinging on
the economic viability of sev-
eral thousands of small-scale producers
that form the backbone of the aquaculture
sector, particularly in Asia, the epicentre of
aquaculture production. The aquaculture
industry will not be immune to this global
phenomenon, and specifically smallholders
and rural farmers may be particularly sus-
ceptible to this global change and the fallout
may further contribute to their poverty and
vulnerability. This global phenomenon could
eventually induce small-scale producer to
change businesses and/or may result in loss
of livelihood.
The impact of an increase feed prices is
bound to vary not only between countries
and regions but also within different farm-
ing systems and for different fish species.
For example, while an increase in fishmeal
and fish oil may have a profound impact
on the farming of salmonids in Europe, a
price increase will not have a profound
effect on tilapia, catfish and carp farming
in most of the Asian and sub-Saharan
African countries as the proportion of
Amino Acids
fishmeal and fish oil in diets is relatively
low, typically, three to seven percent for
fishmeal and one percent for fish oil, while
soaring prices of other ingredients (e.g.
Choosing the right nutrients for your Aquafeed
cereal and cereal by-products) may likely
Headquarters
have a major impact. A study (Rola and
Hasan, 2007) carried out in Viet Nam and
Evonik Degussa GmbH
Health & Nutrition
Our amino acids help to
•  replace  costly  and  scarce  raw  materials 
Thailand in 2006 showed that proportion
of the break-even price with the actual
feed additives
Rodenbacher Chaussee 4 •  improve  protein  balance  and  production  efficiency 
63457 Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany
price on catfish farms are 85 percent phone +49 6181 59-2256 •  reduce  environmental  pollution
and 69 percent, respectively, while the fax +49 6181 59-6734
respective feed costs are about 86 and
Europe & Middle East Africa +49 6181 59-6766 feed-additives@evonik.com | www.aminoacidsandmore.com
81 percent of total production costs. The Latin America +49 6181 59-6761
higher the break-even price, in comparison North America +1 678 797-4300
to the market price, the more vulnerable is Asia North +86 10 85 27-6400
Asia South +65 6890-6861
the producer implying that farmers in Viet
Nam and Thailand cannot afford to absorb
a decrease of the proportion exceeding 15
and 31 percents respectively. This indicates
that that most of the catfish and tilapia
farmers in these countries will not be able
to absorb any further feed price increase.
Under these circumstances, the immediate

Feed Management
A study carried out in Viet Nam and Thailand in 2006 showed
that proportion of the break-even price with the actual price
on catfish farms are 85 percent and 69 percent, respectively,
while the respective feed costs are about 86 and 81 percent of
total production costs
need is to assess the extent and magnitude literature and information, as well as data
of the impact of this global phenomenon on collected in selected market studies. The
aquaculture to understand the situation, toreview had two major focuses: a) a col-
study the medium- and long-term impact lection of data on the status in the
on aquaculture production, including food costs and trends of and availability of
security and the overall biosecurity of thefeed ingredients and aquafeed and b) an
system, and to develop coping strategies toanalysis to examine how this change was
address the changing situation. reflected in aquaculture production, the
prices of final aquaculture products and
Activities their consumption pattern in relation to
• comparison of the impacts in Asia and
Europe, and development of man-
agement measures for adaptation to
strengthen national capacity for emer-
gency preparedness and recovery.
Coming in the next issue of The
International Aquafeed magazine
(March/April
issue) will be
R.B., Mair, G.C., Fitzsimmons, K. (Eds.), Proceedings
of the Sixth International Symposium on Tilapia in
Aquaculture, pp. 172–178.
Centoducati, G., Santacroce, M.P., Lestingi, A., Casalino,
E., Crescenzo, G., 2009. Characterization of the
cellular damage induced by Aflatoxin B1 in sea
bream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758) hepatocytes.
Ital.J.Anim.Sci. vol. 8 (Suppl. 2), 848-850.
Deng S.H, Tian, L.X., Liu, F.G., Jin, S.G., Liang, G.Y.,Yang,
H.G., Du, Z.Y., Liu, Y., 2010. Toxic effects and residue
of aflatoxin B1 in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus×O.
aureus) during long-term dietary exposure.
Aquaculture 307: 233–240.
Doll, S., Baardsen, G., Muller, P., Koppe, W., Stubhaug, I.,
Danicke, S., 2010. Effects of increasing concentration
of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol, zearalenone or
ochratoxin A in diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo
salar) on growth performance and health. Abstract,
14th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and
Feeding. May 31-June 4, Qingdao, China. p. 120.
El-Banna, R., Teleb, H.M., Hadi, M.M., Fakhry, F.M., 1992.
Performance and tissue residue of tilapia fed dietary
aflatoxin. Vet. Med. J. Giza 40, 17–23.
El-Sayed Y. S., Khalil, R.H., 2009. Toxicity,
biochemical effects and residue of aflatoxin B1
in marine water-reared sea bass (Dicentrarchus
labrax L.). Food and Chemical Toxicology.
47:1606–1609.
Naturally ahead
El-Sayed, Y.S., Khalil, R.H., Saad T.T., 2009. Acute
toxicity of ochratoxin-A in marine water-reared
sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) Chemosphere.
75:878–882.
Fegan, D., Spring, P., 2008. Recognizing the reality
of the aquaculture mycotoxin problem: searching
for a common and effective solution. Proceedings
of Alltech’s 23st Annual Symposium, Lexington,
Kentucky,USA. 343-354 pp.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2004)
Worldwide regulations for mycotoxins in food and
feed in 2003. Food and Nutrition Paper No. 81.
FAO, Rome, Italy.
Han, D., Xie, S., Zhu, X., Yang, Y., Guo, Z., 2009.
Growth and hepatopancreas performances of gibel
carp fed diets containing low levels of aflatoxin B1.
Aquaculture Nutrition.
Hooft, J., 2010. The effects of feed-borne Fusarium
mycotoxins on the performance and health of
rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In submition
of MSc Thesis. University of Guelph. Guelph, Canada.
108 p.
Ngethe, S., Horsberg, T.E., Mitema, E., Ingebrigtsen,
K., 1993. Species differences in hepatic
concentration of orally administered 3H AFB1
between rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Aquaculture
114, 355–358.
F: Mycotoxins
Rodrigues, I., 2008. Biomin Mycotoxin Survey
Program 2008. In: Biomin Newsletter. Biomin
Holding GmbH, Vol. 7.
Sepahdari, A., Mosavi, H. A. E., Sharifpour, I., Khosravi,
A., Motallebi, A. A., Mohseni, M., Kakoolaki, S., Pourali,
H. R., Hallajian, A., 2010. Effects of different dietary
levels of AFB1 on survival rate and growth factors
of Beluga (Huso huso). Iranian Journal of Fisheries
Sciences. Vol. 9 No. 1 pp. 141-150
Tu, D. C., 2010. Aflatoxin B1 reduces growth
performance, physiological response, histological
changes and disease resistance in Tra catfish
(Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). In Submition of MSc
Thesis. Nong Lam University. Ho Chi Min City.Vietnam.
Tuan, N.A., Grizzle, J.M., Lovell, R.T., Manning, B.B.,
Rottinghaus, G.E., 2002. Growth and
hepatic lesions of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed
diets containing aflatoxin B1. Aquaculture 212, 311–319.
Udomkusonsri, P.,Tangmunkhong, P., Chantakru, S.,
Arthitvong, S., Boonyawiwat,V., Kusucharit, N., 2008.
Study of aflatoxin B-1 levels in muscle and liver and its
effects on immune system of Walking catfish (Clarias
batrachus) after chronic exposure. Proceedings of
the 46th Kasetsart University Annual Conference,
Kasetsart, 29 January - 1 February, 2008. pp. 588-597.
Whitlow, L.W., Hagler Jr.,W.M., 2002. Mycotoxins in feeds. In:
Feedstuffs:The Weekly Newspaper for Agribusiness.Vol. 74.

Biomin® P.E.P.
The study was carried out with special the biosecurity and safety of aquaculture
an excerpt of
reference to the continents of Asia and products for human consumption. The
chapter one
Europe, considering that Asia contributes study includes the following specific topics
from Impact
over 90 percent of global aquaculture to measure the overall impact of increased
of rising feed
production, while the aquafeed industry price of feed ingredients:
• assessment of status and
ingredient Naturally ahead in phytogenics!
prices on
trends of aquaculture feed:
"while an increase in fishmeal and volume of production, prices aquafeeds and
aquaculture Biomin® P.E.P. is made with a unique
fish oil may have a profound impact of ingredients, and product
quality with special reference
production.
blend of essential oils and prebiotics to provide
The full publication can be found at:
on the farming of salmonids in to countries of south and http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1143e/ a synergistic formula.
southeast Asia and western
Europe, a price increase will not Europe; i1143e00.htm It is designed specifically to support digestion
and improve feed conversion.
have a profound effect on tilapia, •tureassessment of aquacul-
products/production:
More information:
catfish and carp farming in most of volume, quality, price, shift/ Krishen J. Rana & Sunil Siriwardena
change in production pat-
the Asian" terns (species diversifica- Institute of Aquaculture University of Stirling,
Stirling, United Kingdom
tion); and consumption in
is most well-developed in Europe. The two regions, Asia and Europe; Mohammad R. Hasan2
activities under the study included both • impact on biosecurity of aquaculture Aquaculture Management and Conservation
specific and overall impact analyses which products resulting from a change in Service, Fisheries and Aquaculture For enquiry, please e-mail
were carried out through the collection, feeding patterns and unavailability of
Management Division, FAO Fisheries and
Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy aqua@biomin.net www.aqua.biomin.net
review and analysis of available published standard nutritional options; and

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32 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2011 January-February 2011 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 33
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