Cost Containment Strategies in Semi-Intensive Tilapia Culture: Evaluation of Alternate Day Feeding

1. COST CONTAINMENT OPTIONS IN SEMI-INTENSIVE TILAPIA CULTURE: EVALUATION OF ALTERNATE DAY FEEDING STRATEGY

2. Eddie Boy Jimenez, Remedios B. Bolivar Freshwater Aquaculture CenterCentral Luzon State University Science City of Muñoz, Nueva EcijaPHILIPINESandChristopher L. Brown Marine Biology ProgramFlorida International University3000 NE 151 St. ACI 378, North Miami, Florida, USA

3. Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program Funding Agency: US Agency for International Development (USAID)

4. Intensification of Culture • Resulted to feed dependency • 60-70% of production costs is due to feed cost

5. 63%

6. Conceptual FrameworkFeeding Strategies • Delayed feeding onset • Sub-satiation feeding • Two-stage feed reduction strategy (delayed feeding onset + sub-satiation feeding) • Alternate day feeding strategy

7. I. Delayed Feeding Onset • start of feeding 45 days and 75 days after stocking of tilapia fingerlings

8. Mean weight (g) of Nile tilapia in ponds at two feeding onsets

9. On-farm mean growth performance of Nile tilapia in the two feeding onsets

10. Partial budget analysis - I

11. II. Sub-satiation Feeding Strategy • Tilapia were fed at 100% satiation and 67% satiation levels starting at 45 day onset

12. Mean weight of Nile tilapia in ponds at two satiation levels

13. On-farm mean growth performance of Nile tilapia at two satiation levels

14. Partial budget analysis - II

15. III. Two-stage Feed Reduction Strategy • To evaluate possible additive effects of two methods of cost reduction – delayed onset of feeding (75 days feeding onset) and feeding at sub-satiation level in the culture of Nile tilapia.

16. Mean weight of tilapia in the two-stage feed reduction strategy

17. On-farm mean growth performance of Nile tilapia in the two feeding onsets

18. Partial budget analysis - III

19. Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 IV. Alternate Day Feeding Strategy • To determine the effect of alternate day feeding on the grow-out efficiency and net profit in semi-intensive tilapia culture.

20. Materials and Methods • Nine (9) participating farms • Two ponds in each farm were made available for the study • Ponds were fertilized with inorganic fertilizers at the rates of 28 kg N and 5.6 kg P ha-1 wk-1

21. Materials and Methods • Stocking of ponds • Sex-reversed Nile tilapia • Stocking rate : 4 fish m-2

22. Materials and Methods • Feeds & feeding • Commercial feeds • Feeding guide • Duration of Culture • 120 days • Fish sampling and water quality monitoring • Every 2 weeks

23. Growth trend of Nile tilapia in the daily and alternate day feedingstrategies

24. On-farm mean growth performance of Nile tilapia in the two feeding frequencies

25. Partial budget analysis - IV

26. Conclusions • Alternate day feeding strategy can provide another cost containment feeding option for tilapia farmers. • A cost saving of more than 50% was realized. The remarkable saving on feed cost was not accompanied by any statistically significant reduction in fish yield.

27. Conclusions • Aside from the feed cost saving, the alternate day feeding strategy appears cost-effective because of the substantial labor cost that can also be saved. The farm worker can do other farm jobs as necessary. • It is environmentally desirable because of the reduced organic loading of the pond system.

28. Conclusions • It is easily adoptable because the technique does not require any complicated procedure or use of other farm inputs.

29. ACKNOWLEDGMENT • Farmer-collaborators • Project staff

30. Thank you