Month: October 2024

Catfish production has emerged as one of the most important aquaculture activities in West Africa, not only for its contribution to food security, but also for its contribution to local economic development. However, fish farmers in the region face various challenges that make it difficult to obtain optimal yields. Among these, one of the most critical is to ensure adequate nutrition that promotes healthy growth of fish.

In this context, Dibaq Aquaculture, a company specialized in the formulation of feed for aquaculture, has played a fundamental role, providing advanced nutritional solutions that have been shown to significantly improve results in catfish production in this region.

The importance of Nutrition in Aquaculture
 
A balanced diet is essential to ensure optimal fish growth, especially in an environment like West Africa where conditions can be variable. The Catfish’s diet must be carefully designed to cover all its nutritional needs, from proteins and fats to vitamins and minerals, which are essential for its development.

Access to quality feed not only improves the growth of fish, but also has a direct impact on their ability to resist diseases and the quality of the final product that reaches the market. On many African catfish farms, lack of access to adequate feed has led to problems such as malnutrition, poor growth performance and high mortality.
 
Dibaq Aquaculture: Innovation in Feed Formulation

With more than 30 years of experience, Dibaq Aquaculture has developed a series of feeds designed to optimize fish performance in different environmental conditions, including those particular to West Africa. Their approach is based on scientific research and innovation, allowing them to offer specific food solutions to improve the health and growth of catfish.

Dibaq’s formulation includes a precise combination of high-quality proteins, which are essential for fish muscle development, along with healthy fats and other essential nutrients that help improve the catfish´s immune system. Additionally, the feed is designed to be highly digestible, which minimizes waste and reduces the environmental impact in those waters where the fish are raised.
 
Benefits for Fish Farmers and the Envionment
 
The use of Dibaq feed in the region has brought multiple benefits for both fish farmers and the environment. Among the main ones stand out:
 

                •  Accelerated growth: Farmers who have implemented the feed provided by Dibaq, have reported a significant increase in the growth rate of their catfish, reducing the time needed to reach commercial sizes.
 

                •  Better health  and disease resistance: Proper nutrition strengthens the immune system of fish, which in turn reduces mortality from common diseases in aquaculture. This translates into greater productivity and profitability for fish farmers.
 

                •  Reduced environmental impact: Thanks to the high digestibility of Dibaq feed, less waste of undigested feed is generated, which contributes to reducing water pollution. This not only benefits fish farmers, but also surrounding communities and aquatic ecosystems.
.

Success Stories in West Africa

Dibaq Aquaculture’s impact in West Africa has been reflected in numerous success stories in the region. In countries such as Nigeria and Ghana, fish farmers who have adopted Dibaq feed have experienced a considerable increase in production efficiency, achieving larger, healthier fish in less time. This has not only improved the quality of life of fish farmers, but has also strengthened the local economy by increasing the supply of fish to national and international markets.

Testimonials from local fish farmers support these results. Many highlight that, thanks to access to more advanced food, they have been able to diversify their income and offer higher quality products, which has allowed them to compete more effectively in the market.

Conclusion

Catfish production in West Africa remains a vital activity for the region, with significant growth potential. However, to maximize this potential, it is essential that fish farmers have access to quality food that guarantees the healthy growth of their fish.

Dibaq Aquaculture has proven to be a key ally in this process, providing nutritional solutions that not only improve the performance of fish farmers, but also contribute to the sustainability of the aquaculture sector in the region. As global demand for fish continues to rise, companies like Dibaq play an essential role in ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for African aquaculture.

This format is designed to be informative, structured and engaging for readers interested in aquaculture and sustainability in Africa.

Fish intended for direct human consumption is sometimes processed to make the eating experience easier and faster for consumers. This processing results in by-products such as heads, viscera, skeletons, and other materials like tails, fins, minced meat, blood, etc. All this raw material can represent between 30% and 70% of the weight of the fish, depending on the species, and is considered a valuable raw material from which fish meal and fish oil can be produced. Currently, 41% of the raw material used for the production of marine ingredients comes from by-products of fish processed for human consumption.

FIGURE 1: GLOBAL RAW MATERIAL USED  FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MARINE INGREDIENTS

By-products can come from fish caught in the wild or from aquaculture processing itself.
Regarding the processing of these by-products into valuable marine ingredients, some fishing boats are even equipped to preserve or process the by-products into fish meal and fish oil while on board. Alternatively, onshore facilities have developed quick cold collection methods to ensure freshness.

SUPPLY

The fact that by-products from fish processing are increasingly being used as raw materials to produce marine ingredients for balanced feed is great news. Indeed, the use of by-products helps to reduce waste while simultaneously contributing to the production of high-value products that promote human and animal health.
 
Moreover, since the year 2000, the use of by-products for reduction (fish meal and fish oil) has increased, as can be seen in Figure 1.

When analyzing fish meal and fish oil separately, it is observed that global fish meal production from by-products represented 38% in 2023 (Figure 2), while fish oil production from by-products represented for 45% of total fish oil production in 2023 (Figure 3)

In addition, global fish production is expected to continue growing, primarily due to the increase in aquaculture fish production. It goes without saying that increased aquaculture production will also ensure a growing potential supply of raw material for the production of marine ingredients.

Therefore, it is essential to promote the development and optimization of the collection and processing of this valuable source of raw materials to the fullest.

NIR (Near Infrared Reflectance) technology is a spectrophotometric technique based on the emission-absorption of electromagnetic radiation from matter. Electromagnetic radiation is found all around us, from sunlight, electric light, mobile phone signals and radio music. In our case, we use light radiation from a source located in the equipment that emits only a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Usually, it is in the infrared part, but nowadays there are devices that already work including the visible range.

Depending on the analytical equipment available and the type of sample to be analysed, light absorption or emission will be measured. Once the sample has been irradiated, electrical signals are obtained which, through the equipment’s software, are translated into graphs that can be interpreted.

With graphs we can differentiate products and raw materials, since the same product (same composition) has similar graphical behaviors.

As well as obtaining analytical values. The size and intensity of the signal obtained corresponds to a certain concentration-quantity of the molecule that generates it. Therefore, this technology is used to determine the quantity of protein, humidity, fat, fiber, starch, ash, even fatty acids, amino acids, pigments, etc.
 
At Dibaq, aware of the importance of obtaining fast and accurate results, we have increased the number of equipment using this technology in our plant to be able to include new ranges and points of use. We have equipment that measures in the infrared, but also in the infrared and visible.

In addition, we are working on new parameters to be analyzed in both raw materials and finished products, which will give us greater agility in controlling parameters with high nutritional value.

We are pleased to inform you that this year we were part of the prestigious Lacqua 2024 event, held in Medellín, Colombia — a key meeting point for the development and future of aquaculture in Latin America.
During the event, our Area Sales Manager Rodrigo Llancabure and Melissa Espejo had the opportunity to share the technological advances and nutritional solutions we have developed at Dibaq to improve sustainable aquaculture production. Our products, designed to optimize feed efficiency for species such as trout and tilapia, were very well received by the attendees, standing out for their focus on innovation and animal welfare.
Among the topics discussed at our stand and during conferences, we highlighted:

• Our new sustainable formulas: Featuring ingredients that improve Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), increasing not only productivity but also the welfare of the fish.

• Advanced production technology: How we have implemented micronization, high-precision extrusion techniques, and starch gelatinization, ensuring high digestibility and nutrient utilization.

• Commitment to sustainability: Our products align with the most demanding regulations and certifications such as Global GAP, BAP, and GMO-free.

Additionally, we invited all attendees to visit our plant in Segovia, where we demonstrated the rigorous work we put in daily to deliver a superior quality product.
We would like to thank all our clients, collaborators, and new friends who visited our stand and showed interest in our nutritional solutions. We are excited to continue strengthening aquaculture in the region and to support our clients in their growth.
If you didn’t have the opportunity to visit us at Lacqua 2024, don’t worry! You can contact us for more information or schedule a visit to our factory.
We continue working with passion and dedication to provide you with the best service and products in the market.

See you at the next event!