The expanding aquaculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by increasing food security and economic development goals, has led to a growing demand for feed ingredients. However, reliance on imported and often expensive conventional feed components presents significant challenges due to high costs, environmental concerns, and supply chain instability. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify alternative, locally available feed ingredients and develop sustainable, economically viable aquafeeds using alternative local resources.
Within the framework of the Development and Scaling of Sustainable Feeds for Resilient Aquatic Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (FASA) project, a key objective is to generate new knowledge on the nutritional value and digestibility of locally sourced feed ingredients to support the formulation of novel, locally produced aquafeeds. The aim is to develop cost-effective and environmentally sustainable diets that reduce dependency on imported ingredients while supporting the resilience of local aquaculture systems.
The study involves the systematic evaluation of selected local ingredients through proximate composition analysis, quantification of anti-nutritional factors, and in vivo digestibility trials using GIFT strain (Oreochromis niloticus). Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid, crude fibre, gross energy, and selected micronutrients were determined using standard faecal collection and indigestible nutrient marker techniques.
Results from the laboratory analysis and digestibility assessments of feed ingredients sourced in Zambia provide information on the nutrient availability and digestibility profiles, highlighting both the potential and limitations of specific ingredients for inclusion in tilapia diets. These findings provide foundational data critical for the development of balanced, nutritionally adequate, and economically feasible feed formulations.
Overall, the study demonstrated the viability of selected local ingredients in formulating feasible aquafeed therefore contributes to a growing evidence base supporting the sustainable intensification of aquaculture activities in sub-Saharan Africa through the strategic use of locally available resources.