Regional Case Study: Aquaculture Market Trends in Bangladesh
Use of formulated feeds for fish farming is increasing in Bangladesh, associated with growth and intensification and commercialization of aquaculture. It seems that commercial pelleted feeds are starting to replace ‘farm-made’ and ‘raw’ unformulated feeds.
- Production Dynamics: Local production produces 50–55% of fish feed ingredients, with the remainder imported. Some raw materials such as rice bran requires processing in mills before incorporation into formulated fish feeds.
- Seasonality: Due to temperatures and water availability, the main season for commercial fish culture generally starts from March and continues until November, so the greatest volumes of feed are produced from April to September.
- Ingredient Sourcing: Rice bran is mainly produced locally, and is derived from rice milling. Only 30% of total rice bran production of Bangladesh is used for commercial animal feed production. Local production of maize has reached 1.65 million tonnes, of which 90–95% is used for animal feed production.
To optimize raw material processing, see our latest [ Floating Fish Feed Making Machine ] specifications.
Comparative Performance: Sinking vs. Floating Feed
Sinking feeds, which accounted for 81% of total manufactured output, still dominate over extruded floating feed (19%), but growth in the production of floating fish feed has been fastest, averaging 89% over the last four years.
Feed conversion ratios (FCRs) for floating pelleted feed are comparatively lower than for sinking pellet feed:
- Tilapia: Approximately 1.5 (Floating) vs 1.85 (Sinking).
- Pangas: Approximately 1.6 (Floating) vs 2.0 (Sinking).
Floating feed users are better able to measure feed requirements through observation of fish behavior, and feeding to satiation, though both could be improved by reducing wastage.
Fish Feed Formulation and Proximate Analysis
Fish feed is formulated through mixing several raw materials to make a balanced diet. These fish feed ingredients are crushed separately and later mixed to ratios before extrusion. The main fish feed ingredients include rice bran (20–50% inclusion), maize (5–20% inclusion), soybean meal (10–30% inclusion), mustard oil cake (10–25% inclusion), fish meal (5–15% inclusion) and meat and bone meal (10–20% inclusion).
Proximate Analysis of Common Fish Feed Formulation
| Ingredients | Dry Matter (%) | Crude Protein (%) | Lipid (%) | NFE (%) | Crude Fibre (%) | Ash (%) |
| Cottonseed Cake | 93.0 | 35.9 | 6.7 | 44.5 | 7.1 | 5.8 |
| Sunflower Cake | 94.0 | 21 – 25 | 5.5 | 29.2 | 39.6 | 5.0 |
| Wheat Bran | – | 14 – 18 | 6.5 | 59.5 | 16.0 | 4.0 |
| Maize Bran | 93.0 | 10 – 15 | 4.4 |
Fish Feed Formulation for Industrial Production (100kg Base)
The most commonly utilized fish feed formulation in Kenya and similar regions include: wheat or rice bran, sunflower or cottonseed cake, cassava, and freshwater shrimp. Below is a standard industrial proportion based on common raw materials.
Proportion of Materials in Fish Feed Formulation
| Ingredients | Proportion (%) | Weight per 100kg |
| Wheat Bran | 57% | 57.0 kg |
| Cottonseed Cake | 37% | 37.0 kg |
| Freshwater Shrimp | 6% | 6.0 kg |
| Vitamin & Mineral Mix | Minimal | Additive |
| TOTAL | 100% | 100 kg |
Achieving these precise ratios requires high-performance mixing; check our [ Industrial Fish Feed Mixer ] guide.
