EVALUATION OF FARM-MADE AND COMMERCIAL FEEDS ON GROWTH AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus LINNAEUS, 1758) IN LIBERIA

Abstract

A study on the effect of farm-made and commercial feeds on nutritional quality, growth, water quality and economic performance on Nile tilapia in landlocked Counties of in Liberia was done. Interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to collect information on farm made feeds. Moisture, crude protein, crude lipids and ash content of all feed ingredients were determined using AOAC procedures. Test diets consisted of two farmer diets, two commercial diets and one research diet. To determine the effect of these diets on fish growth, 450 male O. niloticus fingerlings of average weight of 13g were stocked in hapas mounted in 3 earthen ponds, each with 5 hapas at the Central Agriculture Research Institute in Liberia. The effect of diets on temperature, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was determined using oxyguard and pH meters. Rate of returns on investment were used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of all the diets. Of 120 farmers interviewed, 81.6% practice semi-extensive aquaculture in paddies, barrages, and earthen ponds. Farmers’ annual yield was 165.7 kg ha-1, translating to USD 414.25. The research diet had the greatest amount of crude protein (30.7%) while farmers’ diet had the lowest crude protein (9%). The research diet had the highest growth performance in terms of weight, attaining 175.33g. There was a significant difference in growth of fish between research and farmer (F1) diets (P = 2 × 10-5).There was no significant difference on the effects of each feed on the quality of the pond water Economic analysis indicated that the commercial diet (C1) was most profitable (USD 259.5). For better fish performance and profitability, there is need for researchers and feed producers to develop quality and affordable feeds for Liberia’s aquaculture sector while building capacity for farmers to formulate quality diets. Continuous monitoring of water quality is recommended for the sector.