New feed mill eyes cheaper aquaculture in Iloilo

A new medium-scale aquaculture feed mill is expected to ease production costs and strengthen fish farming operations in Western Visayas after it was officially inaugurated on April 27 by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Office 6 and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department.

Located inside the SEAFDEC/AQD complex in Barangay Buyu-an, Tigbauan, Iloilo, the facility can produce up to 5 metric tons of aquaculture feeds daily, or around 1,560 metric tons annually.

The output is expected to support farms covering as much as 160 hectares of ponds across the region.

DA-BFAR 6 Regional Director Remia A. Aparri said the project is projected to directly benefit at least 6,240 fisherfolk yearly, or about 47% of the region’s 13,202 aquaculture fisherfolk out of 192,679 registered fisherfolk in Western Visayas.

“This clearly demonstrates the scale and significance of this intervention in advancing aquaculture productivity in Western Visayas. This is both infrastructure development and responsive governance,” she stressed.

She said the project was developed through a series of consultations with fish farmers, local government units, private sector partners, and the academe across the region.

These discussions identified the high cost of feeds — reaching up to 70% of production expenses — as a major constraint to growth.

“Today, we deliver a concrete response to that long-standing challenge,” Aparri added.

She noted that the initiative forms part of the agency’s broader efforts to improve productivity while making fish farming more sustainable and affordable.

The facility was established through a partnership between DA-BFAR 6 and SEAFDEC/AQD, combining government support with technical expertise in feed formulation and aquaculture research.

SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao said the feed mill reflects efforts to transform research and development into practical technologies that directly benefit communities.

“Today, we are not just celebrating the opening of this facility but we are also celebrating the hard work of each and every individual who has been part of this journey and project,” Baliao said.

“This feed mill plant stands as another way for SEAFDEC/AQD to bridge the gap between research and development and practical application and a sign of the Department’s unwavering commitment to its stakeholders,” he added.

The feed mill uses a complete production line composed of raw material grinding through a hammer mill, dust collection, ingredient mixing, extrusion, drying, oil spraying, cooling, and bagging.

The process is designed to ensure uniform quality, nutrient efficiency, longer shelf life, and proper packaging for storage and distribution.

Project information materials also showed that the facility aims to produce high-quality, cost-efficient, and nutritious feeds to support sustainable aquaculture development.

DA-BFAR 6 initially allocated PHP 30 million for the project through a memorandum of agreement signed in 2023, while SEAFDEC/AQD provided additional resources for equipment installation and operational requirements.

Aside from feed production, the facility will also function as a training and demonstration center for fisherfolk groups, local government units, private stakeholders, and academic institutions on feed formulation, production systems, and sustainable aquaculture practices.

A feasibility study conducted by SEAFDEC/AQD found the project to be economically viable.

The study estimated annual management earnings of PHP 2.4 million, a return on investment of 8.26%, and a payback period of 6.71 years, assuming other factors remain constant.

It also projected annual net socioeconomic benefits of PHP 79 million through direct job generation, added income, improved farm yields, additional farm employment, and increased regional milkfish production.

However, the study noted that an additional PHP 60 million would be needed for yearlong feed production to achieve the target output of 1,560 metric tons.

To attain acceptable profitability, cost-effective feeds would need to be sold at PHP 40 per kilogram or PHP 1,000 per bag.