Formulating cost-effective black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) based Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diet for sustainable food security

Abstract

Globally, food insecurity is a fundamental problem. The aquaculture sector plays a vital role in supplying food with great potential to enhance food secu- rity. A significant challenge for the industry is the scarcity of protein sources in fish feeds and high prices that escalate production costs beyond economic viability. A growing paradigm shift for sustainability in the aquaculture sector is the usage of alternative insect-based diets like the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (BSFLM). The cost of fish production is always a pertinent issue in the aquaculture sector. Therefore, farmers would benefit from minimised and feed costs using technologies such as linear pro- gramming, which considers input costs and nutrient levels on different feed ingredients to ensure the production of least cost nutrient-dense diets. This study focused on applying the linear programming technique in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) feed formulation using BSFLM as an alternative source of protein. In determining the least cost diet, five feeds were formulated with BSFLM at the following levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) using ready to use excel solver function for linear programming. The study shows that replacing fishmeal with BSFLM at 100% is cost-effective and may reduce the cost of feeding by as much as 26.8%. This study focuses on minimising feed cost in the aquaculture.The study recommends that a further study be conducted to test the diets on fish growth performance.However the level of pprotein content in the diets formulated is also a good since they meet the requirements for juvenile Nile tilapia.Reduced feed costs will enable aquaculture farmers to increase their income and enhance food security.