Affordable Aquafeed Design through Integration of Agricultural Residue

The escalating cost of conventional aquafeed ingredients such as fishmeal and soybean meal has imposed severe economic pressure on smallholder fish farmers across developing nations. Agricultural byproducts including rice bran, wheat bran, mustard oil cake, groundnut oil cake, copra meal and cassava have emerged as viable low-cost alternatives capable of meeting the nutritional demands of commonly cultured freshwater fish species. This article examines the nutritional composition of selected agricultural byproducts and their applicability in feed formulation for Indian major carps and other important aquaculture species. It further discusses anti-nutritional factors and methods to mitigate their adverse effects through fermentation, heat treatment and enzyme supplementation. The economic implications of substituting conventional ingredients with locally sourced agricultural residues are also explored.