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    Home > Food News > Food Articles > Tilapia aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa is about to usher in historical development opportunities

    Tilapia aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa is about to usher in historical development opportunities

    • Last Update: 2021-09-18
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    The Dutch aquaculture fund Aqua-Spark plans to invest 300 million US dollars to develop a sub-Saharan tilapia farming industrial park
    .
     
    By 2050, countries in sub-Saharan Africa will face new problems: the population will exceed 1 billion and the demand for fish will increase by at least 10 million tons
    .
     
    At this stage, the production of tilapia in the sub-Saharan region is in the range of 120,000-150,000 tons, and the aquaculture mode is based on freshwater lake cage culture
    .
    As early as the 1970s, Africans tried the pond culture model, but ultimately failed
    .
    In the past 10-15 years, 10 large-scale breeding companies have started large-scale production, with an average production capacity of 10,000-15,000 tons
    .
     
    The largest company is called FirstWave Group, which is the parent company of Yalelo Zambia and Yalelo Uganda Aquatic Products Company, with an annual production capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 tons.
    Other large companies are located in Lake Volta, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika.
    More than 10,000 tons
    .
     
      Willem van der Pijl, a veteran in the aquaculture industry , said that the sub-Saharan tilapia farming industry is composed of 10 large companies, 50 medium-sized companies and hundreds of individual households, which is very different from the pattern of hundreds of thousands of small-scale shrimp farmers in Asia.
    Everyone knows who is who
    .
     
      In addition, the situation in sub-Saharan countries is very different from Egypt.
    Egypt has a complete industrial chain with an annual output of nearly 900,000 tons, and there are 30-40 feed producers
    .
     
      "In Africa, the production of tilapia is about 1 million tons, all of which are digested in the local market
    .
    Egypt is a template for success, but I think that Egypt's production is approaching its peak, and sub-Saharan Africa is where the potential for development lies.
    The cage culture model of China will soon reach saturation, and the pond culture model may be a breakthrough, but there are currently no more than 3 companies with a production of more than 1,000 tons
    .
    ” Van der Pijl said
    .
     
      For many years, China’s cheap imported frozen tilapia has been the main competitor of the African aquaculture industry, but imports have been declining in the last three years
    .
    In 2018, the import volume was about 92,000 tons, which fell to 65,000 tons in 2019 and 61,000 tons in 2020
    .
     
      In Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are the largest tilapia consumers, followed by Kenya
    .
     
      "We understand that some African companies have begun to solve the problem of breeding cost through the development of value chains, including localized breeding, feed development, etc
    .
    .
    Local feed production in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia is increasing.
    Non-fish feed is still dependent on imports
    .
    "
     
      Van der Pijl analyzed that African countries need to establish large-scale production in order to effectively reduce unit costs and attract industrial investment
    .
    "If there are funds, fry, feed, and government support, doubling production within five years will be an achievable goal
    .
    The current farming model is too dependent on lakes, and Lake Volta has clearly reached its carrying capacity.
    Victoria Lake and Lake Kariba are not there yet
    .
    "
     
      In the next 6-8 years, the Dutch aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark plans to raise US$300 million to help the development of the African tilapia industry.
    The first round of investment of US$50 million will be issued in the fourth quarter of 2021 to support the top 25 producers Some of the companies that have plans to expand are mainly used for the construction of vertically integrated aquaculture parks.
    The output of each park will exceed 20,000 tons, and the output will increase by more than 50%
    .
    Aquatic tilapia farming
     
      By 2050, countries in sub-Saharan Africa will face new problems: the population will exceed 1 billion and the demand for fish will increase by at least 10 million tons
    .
     
      At this stage, the production of tilapia in the sub-Saharan region is in the range of 120,000-150,000 tons, and the aquaculture mode is based on freshwater lake cage culture
    .
    As early as the 1970s, Africans tried the pond culture model, but ultimately failed
    .
    In the past 10-15 years, 10 large-scale breeding companies have started large-scale production, with an average production capacity of 10,000-15,000 tons
    .
     
      The largest company is called FirstWave Group, which is the parent company of Yalelo Zambia and Yalelo Uganda Aquatic Products Company, with an annual production capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 tons.
    Other large companies are located in Lake Volta, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika.
    More than 10,000 tons
    .
     
      Willem van der Pijl, a veteran in the aquaculture industry , said that the sub-Saharan tilapia farming industry is composed of 10 large companies, 50 medium-sized companies and hundreds of individual households, which is very different from the pattern of hundreds of thousands of small-scale shrimp farmers in Asia.
    Everyone knows who is who
    .
    Aquaculture
     
      In addition, the situation in sub-Saharan countries is very different from Egypt.
    Egypt has a complete industrial chain with an annual output of nearly 900,000 tons, and there are 30-40 feed producers
    .
     
      "In Africa, the production of tilapia is about 1 million tons, all of which are digested in the local market
    .
    Egypt is a template for success, but I think that Egypt's production is approaching its peak, and sub-Saharan Africa is where the potential for development lies.
    The cage culture model of China will soon reach saturation, and the pond culture model may be a breakthrough, but there are currently no more than 3 companies with a production of more than 1,000 tons
    .
    ” Van der Pijl said
    .
     
      For many years, China’s cheap imported frozen tilapia has been the main competitor of the African aquaculture industry, but imports have been declining in the last three years
    .
    In 2018, the import volume was about 92,000 tons, which fell to 65,000 tons in 2019 and 61,000 tons in 2020
    .
     
      In Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are the largest tilapia consumers, followed by Kenya
    .
     
      "We understand that some African companies have begun to solve the problem of breeding cost through the development of value chains, including localized breeding, feed development, etc
    .
    .
    Local feed production in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia is increasing.
    Non-fish feed is still dependent on imports
    .
    "
     
      Van der Pijl analyzed that African countries need to establish large-scale production in order to effectively reduce unit costs and attract industrial investment
    .
    "If there are funds, fry, feed, and government support, doubling production within five years will be an achievable goal
    .
    The current farming model is too dependent on lakes, and Lake Volta has clearly reached its carrying capacity.
    Victoria Lake and Lake Kariba are not there yet
    .
    "
     
      In the next 6-8 years, the Dutch aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark plans to raise US$300 million to help the development of the African tilapia industry.
    The first round of investment of US$50 million will be issued in the fourth quarter of 2021 to support the top 25 producers Some of the companies that have plans to expand are mainly used for the construction of vertically integrated aquaculture parks.
    The output of each park will exceed 20,000 tons, and the output will increase by more than 50%
    .
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