About the project: it's a project build by an NGO who is MIDEM(Mission Independante pour le Developpemnet et l'Education a Madagascar) funded by NORAD/NORGES VEL of Norway

 

With the target: to increase the income of farmers to 60 USD/month by fish farming(Tilapia). But using the local strain we didn't reach the target; slow growth, long cycle and low profitability) then we decide to import the GIFT and BIG NIN of Nam Sai Farm Thailand Co.Ltd on July 2013 and import feed from LFL Feed company  Mauritius until now when the project become TILAPIA DE L'EST on Jan 2015.

 

Now we have 69 ponds working and 85 ponds under construction. 

 

Our technical key indicators are:

 

Density on stocking: 3/ cubic m(All male Tilapia at 98%),semi intensive culture

Average pond dimension: 700 sq m or more

Average Mortality: 12%

Average FCR: 1.2

Period: 140 Days from at least 0.4g ABW of fingerlings on stocking

ABW per pond on harvest: 240g with an average of production at 350kg per pond

 

We are using the Asian method to get all male fingerlings using  17 alpha methyl testosterone>

 

We made protocols with our consultant from Norway Sir Morten Frost from pond building to harvest and commercialisation.

 

I'm now in charge on Broodstock management, eggs incubation, Sex reversal process, nursery and Packing and fingerlings delivery to farmers (transportation), so all about hatchery since 2011 and an integrated hatchery is now  being built now.

 

But now our problem now is  importation, we depend a lot on LFL Mauritius and USD exchange rates now increasing vis a vis of our money value then the cost of feed is very high for the farmers.

 

Then I've got the idea to create the first company in Madagascar who will provide the best feed quality for aquaculture at the lower possible price (the legendary floating pellet from Asia).

 

Our farmers will increase to reach 250 in number  next year and the demand for  feed will be higher. The target of TILAPIA DE L'EST by 2019 is 300 ponds and 600 by 2023 but 300 will be reached soon at least in the end of 2016 as we projected, because everyone wants to farm Tilapia with us now since it become profitable for them.

 

So if you know someone or an organisation who can fund this project to build a company for  aquaculture feed let me know, it's a very big business opportunity down here now since the demand is very high.

 

I'm just talking about the Tilapia del'Est but a lot of other customers and other organisation like APDRA want this type of feed also. We are proud to be the first project who is successful in tilapia farming in Madagascar until now.

 

It's quite a  long process ahead  but it's all about us and aquaculture is developing down here.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Loha