The requirement for animal protein in Ghana, particularly tilapia, is very high. In order to meet demand, a number of bottlenecks need to be solved, related to feed, fingerlings and knowledge.

Due to a lack of knowledge and experience, the country’s existing hatcheries cannot meet market demand in terms of quantity and quality of tilapia fingerlings. LEI and IMARES, both part of Wageningen UR in the Netherlands, recently assessed the feasibility of formation and set-up of Public Private Partnerships (PPS) for aquaculture in Ghana.

There is only one major local feed manufacture and imported feed is around 30% more expensive, leading to a situation in which there is not enough good quality, affordable feed.

Other issues slowing down aquaculture development include the licensing process for cage farming in Lake Volta, which is bureaucratic and can take up to two years, and the need for environmental risk assessments to be carried out to enable farmers to use Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT), which grow up to 50% faster than the local Akosombo strain.

Thierry van Helden, First Secretary of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana, is positive that an investment in establishing local feed mills would bring feed prices down, and there is a move to attract Dutch investors to explore opportunities in Ghana\\\'s aquaculture sector.

Source: Emmy Koeleman, All About Feed. Read the full article here.