The nutritious larvae of black soldier fly offer great potential to improve autonomy and resilience of small-scale tilapia farmers in Zimbabwe. Together with the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) and thanks to the support of the European Union, The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Organisation of the ACP States, FAO led FISH4ACP is trialing black soldier fly production – and black soldier fly-based fish feed with four small-and medium-scale enterprises.
Tilapia consumption in Zimbabwe has gained in popularity but is more expensive than other fish. High costs of production are mainly due to a reliance on imported feeds and feed ingredients, which are affected by macroeconomic factors such as foreign currency exchange rates and inflation.
Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae have gained prominence world-wide as a protein rich alternative feed ingredient for many livestock feeds. They are widely recognized for their good nutritional potential and a strong immune system that prevents the spread of diseases. Other benefits include a low carbon footprint, being pro-poor and supporting local autonomy as they can be produced locally using local waste products at either smaller or larger scales.
Farmers and government officers have been trained in BSF production and feed formulation and are ready for production and feeding trials – both on selected farms and at the university. Using live larvae as a feed supplement, rather than a feed ingredient, will be compared as well, both in terms of feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the costs-benefits.