The relatively recent surge in India of the establishment of fish and shrimp feed mills, is expected to bolster the nation's production capacity and support the rapid growth of the nation's aquaculture sector.
Industry analysts predict that continued investment in the construction and operation of new fish and shrimp feed mills will strongly support India's aquaculture industry, meet the evolving nutritional requirements, and bolster the country's global presence within the sector.
A representative from Godrej Agrovet commented: "The establishment of new feed mills aims to cater to the rising demand for high-quality aquaculture products in India. Optimal locations have been chosen to ensure that both fish and shrimp producers can access a stable supply of feed, boosting overall sector growth."
Neeraj Kumar Srivastava, Immediate Past Chairman – CLFMA of India, highlighted a few of the main investments in the Indian fish feed segment:
In late-2022, Godrej Agrovet opened its new Uttar Pradesh mill, which is anticipated to increase production by 15-20%, cementing its presence in the region. Maharashtra Feeds followed suit with a new 5,000 tonnes/year fish feed mill in Uttar Pradesh, which also opened in 2022, that aims to enhance production by 10-12%. Amrit Feeds also expanded its fish feed operations in Bihar with the launch of a new mill and an estimated increase in production capacity of 20%. Finally, Growel's new mill in Odisha, which opened in May 2022, is set to bolster the company’s fish feed production levels by 25%.
Despite the rapid growth in the fish feed segment, the shrimp feed industry has seen relatively limited expansion in comparison, Mr. Srivastava said. One notable exception is Sandhya Marine, who has moved beyond processing and exporting to establish new shrimp feed mills, becoming one of the few to take this leap in the industry.
“[Indian] shrimp feed capacity is already two and half times more than the current production. The overall capacity is idle because of low global demand and production,” Mr. Srivastava added. “The winter crop is down by 30% and feed demand is also low. It’s going to depend on increasing global demand and Ecuador’s expansion and production status.”
