Anna Pyc, member of the board of SPRL, and
an expert in the field of trout feed describes the trout industry in Poland.
Read online as it appears in the magazine here or scroll down for just the text.
Trout (Photo credit: Julie Starr) |
by Anna Pyc
Trout
farming in Poland is situated mainly in the northern part of the
country with its main species – rainbow trout. It is relatively
young part of the Polish aquaculture reaching 14 thousand tons of
annual production in 2010 with a value of approximately €40m. The
farms are modern, many using partially recirculated systems and
technology reducing environmental impact. Over 200 trout farms employ
approximately 1000 people. The location of farms in rural areas makes
them important for local employment levels.
Trout
farms in Poland use high quality feeds purchased from leading feed
producers in Europe. 41.5 per cent of the market share belongs to
Aller Aqua (2010), in the second place is Biomar (34.6 per cent) and
third is Skretting (12.3 per cent). Aller Aqua is the only fish feed
company with a production plant in Poland, which makes the company
competitive regarding delivery conditions.
Trout
farms in Poland are in most cases well managed and therefore the
approximate FCR reaches values of starter feeds at 0.72 and, in
fingerlings production 0.88. In recent years there has also been
investment in automatic feeding systems to improve feeding
effectiveness.
Very
strict regulations in Polish law regarding the environmental impact
of salmonids production also require that feeds that meet certain
standards. According to individual farm water conditions the feed is
chosen in respect of its caloric value and other properties. Many of
the farms have their own hatcheries, where starter feeds are used.
These feeds are especially important for having high survival rate
and fish in good condition as a basis for fast growth.
One
product worth mentioning, which is a part of Aller Aqua Hatchery
Pack, is Aller Artex. It fully replaces live artemia and is used with
very good results in numerous hatcheries.
Fish
feed is the largest cost component of trout farms, amounting on
average to about 34 per cent, however it used to reach over 40 per
cent in previous years. Cost of labour, live raw material and other
operational costs amount to 19 per cent , 16 per cent and 14 per cent
respectively. Other components costs are relatively small.
Polish
trout production faces new challenges in terms of market demands as
well as increasing pressure on reducing environmental impact. The
Polish Trout Breeders Association faces these challenges and among
other activities introduced a four year promotional campaign of trout
in Poland. The campaign focuses mainly on promoting trout as a source
of healthy nutrition, as well as spreading knowledge about the
species.
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