The high cost of fish feed is one of the main problems for people who farm and sell tilapia in Vanuatu.

Tilapia Specialist at the Ministry of Fisheries, Glen Alo, told VBTC News in Luganville that although tilapia is healthy and many people farm it to earn some income, the feed needed to grow the fish is too expensive.

“While we have many farmers, there’s not enough feed. When we import feed from overseas, it’s too expensive and farmers cannot afford it,” Alo said.

Because of the high price of commercial fish feed, the Vanuatu Agriculture Research Technical Centre (VARTC) is working to find local, affordable feed to reduce imports.

“We are trying to produce something locally made and low-cost because overseas feed is too expensive. This way, our farmers can afford it,” Alo said.

There are more than 400 tilapia farmers in Vanuatu’s northern provinces.