Aquaculture growth for smallholder farms is often limited by a lack of access to affordable, high-quality feed sources. Considering feed costs constitute the majority of production costs which are estimated to be between 50-80%, farmers are seeking more affordable alternatives.

The AquaFish Innovation Lab is focusing on reducing operational costs and negative environmental impacts by developing alternative feed types and feeding regimes while maintaining high yields.

At Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania, AquaFish Innovation Lab researchers investigated invertebrates – housefly larvae and earthworms – for use in fish feeds. These invertebrates are great candidates because they both have short life-cycles and high numbers of eggs produced, otherwise known as fecundity. Supplementing invertebrates into feed would enable the use of local ingredients and thus cut down fish feed costs to farmers. Continue reading more in the AquaFish Innovation Lab Success Story.