In a major stride toward food security and a more resilient local fisheries sector, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region (BFAR-6) formally inaugurated a new aquaculture feed mill plant in Barangay Buyu-an, Tigbauan, Iloilo on Monday, April 27.
The inauguration was led by SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao, BFAR-6 Director Remia Aparri, and BFAR-6 Assistant Director for Administrative Services Zaldy Perez.
The P30-million joint facility aims to revitalize the aquaculture sector in Western Visayas by providing high-quality, cost-effective feeds to local fish farmers. It can produce five metric tons of aquaculture feeds per day, with the capacity to scale up to eight metric tons.
According to Aparri, the cost of commercial feeds remains a heavy burden for local farmers, often comprise up to 70 percent their total production expenses.
“This facility is a strategic investment of the government to strengthen our aquaculture sector in the region,” she said in her speech during the inauguration.
“Today, we deliver a concrete response to that long-standing challenge. The produce from this mill is expected to be lower than commercial feeds, with a difference of around P7 per kilo,” Aparri continued.
The project is projected to benefit at least 6,240 fisherfolk annually, representing nearly half of the registered aquaculture farmers in Western Visayas.
Annually, the facility is targeted to produce over 1,500 metric tons of feeds, enough to supply approximately 300 hectares of fishponds.
The realization of the feed mill comes after years of research and formulation trials by SEAFDEC/AQD, aiming to find the right balance of locally available and imported raw materials to create highly nutritious yet affordable fish feed.
Baliao highlighted that the journey began well before the initial memorandum of agreement was signed in 2023.
“SEAFDEC/AQD, as a leading institution in aquaculture, always believed that for aquaculture to prosper, focus must not only be placed on improving the quantity and quality of seeds but should also be placed on the feeds.vThis feed mill plant stands as another way for SEAFDEC/AQD to bridge the gap between research and development and practical application,” he said.
“As we flip the switch today and hear the roars of the machinery reverberate around the facility, we do so with the hope that each pellet produced contributes towards food security and sustainable aquaculture growth,” Baliao further said.IMT
