Since graduation from Cairo University in 2002 with a BA degree in Architecture Engineer, Engineer Hussein Mansour worked in his family business - the Zoo Control Feed Company - producing aquafeeds using extrusion technology before joining Aller Aqua Egypt. Today, Hussien is a partner in Aller Aqua Egypt and has been the CEO of the company since 2011.
He has 20 years of experience in the extruded feed sector. His long-time commitment and long experience with aquafeed technology for different fish species has led him to take part in many teams and delegations representing both the company and the country locally and internationally.
What direction has the company adopted to lead the feed industry in Egypt?
First and foremost, we are amongst the front runners when it comes to sustainability. We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and in particular focus on Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 13: Climate Action and Goal 14: Life Below Water. We work actively with these goals through projects in the factory.
We reflect these goals by providing safe working conditions and benefits for our employees, we help reduce water pollution by optimising our feeds and thus reduce emissions and we collaborate with NGO’s on projects promoting aquaculture and learning, to increase the production of nutritious fish whilst creating jobs in the sector.
How did you come to join Zoo control company and then move to work in Aller Aqua Egypt?
It was my family business. My father is the founder and he had a vision to establish a production company producing feed and full-fat soy using extrusion technology. He came to be the first company in Egypt to produce floating aquafeeds since Year 2000.
My interest in the beginning was in the process and the art of extrusion. So I decide to learn how to drive the extruder and play with the parameters to produce different types of feed.
Although my educational background is architecture engineering, I fell in love with the extrusion process and what we could achieve with this machine.
I participate in every meeting held concerning developing the production process including cost efficiency and the development of new products for shrimp, marine species and pet food as well.
In 2010, my father decided to search for a partner who could join us in our expansion journey, and by coincidence he met Henrik Halken one of the partners in Aller Aqua Group. At the same time Aller Aqua was executing their strategy to double up their production and sales through investments and acquisitions.
Worldwide, Egypt is ranked second after China in producing Tilapia and is in the top 10 on aquaculture production.
The synergy for growth was in place. Knowledge sharing and transferring knowhow, including all the good values at Aller Aqua, was the recipe for establishing Aller Aqua Egypt as an important hub in Africa and Middle East for supplying high quality aquafeeds with the latest technology and many years of combined experience.
What is the biggest achievement you have accomplished during your work with the company?
After establishing Aller Aqua Egypt, we accomplished great milestones on our journey, starting from investing and installing state-of-the-art extrusion lines in 2015 and 2017; introducing new product trend in the market such as TAF™ (Temperature Adapted Feed), Anti Stress™ and Support Feed. These functional feeds helped and supported fish farmers to overcome challenges they face during their production cycles.
We won the prize for ‘Best Aquaculture Product in Middle East’ from Ministry of Climate Change and Environment In UAE for two years in a row in 2016-17.
What were the stages of development that the company went through in order to become a pioneer in the feed industry?
Aller Aqua entered the Egyptian market in 2010. Since then, additions to the factory has tripled production capacity and made Aller Aqua Egypt the largest producer of extruded fish feed in Africa. Passion and dedication combined with environmentally-friendly extruded fish feed of the highest quality makes Aller Aqua Egypt an excellent partner in fish feed.
How many branches does Aller Aqua company own around the world and what is its total production?
Aller Aqua produce fish feed for freshwater and saltwater aquaculture.
Today Aller Aqua has factories in Denmark, Poland, Germany, Zambia, China, Serbia and Egypt, and we export our products to more than 70 countries worldwide.
We have a broad and professional product range, consisting of feed for 30 species of fish. We know the importance the right feed plays in our customers production and therefore our own professional development - and our research centre in Germany, Aller Aqua Research, consistently works on optimising, developing and documenting the effect of our products. This ensures that our customers receive top-quality professional products, at competitive prices, delivered on time.
What are the products that Aller Aqua manufactures for local consumption as well as export products?
Aller Aqua Egypt has launched state-of-the-art feed named Til-Pro for Tilapia that targets higher farm productivity through efficient output, by focusing on flexible ingredients formulations based on digestibility.
Last year, Aller Aqua also launched the SUPPORT concept for tilapia, a new product to the Egyptian market.
The Aller Aqua’s Support concept launched last year for Tilapia is a series of aquafeeds based on a blend of functional ingredients that promote growth and survival as well as disease resistance and prevention. This is done by balancing the microbial community in the fish gut.
We have also introduced Spring Edition for Tilapia, a new functional feed especially designed to help support tilapia and enhance their ability to cope with transition period from winter to summer.
Nile Tilapia is popular with Egyptian fish farmers because of its affordability, tolerance to high-density production methods, faster growth rates and resistance to disease.
Egyptian aquaculture and seafood market shows rapid growth. Aller Aqua will always support and develop their products to serve fish farmers.
What are the reasons that made Aller Aqua Egypt a pioneer in the field of fish farming in Egypt?
As a company we are big enough to meet farmer needs and small enough to be flexible. This ensures that we can react quickly to our customer’s needs, which is essential when you strive not only to deliver fish feed, but also optimising our customers’ businesses. Our experience and history is our guarantee to our customers that we know what we are talking about, that we keep our promises, and that we are right here – and that will still be the case in many years to come.
We are constantly focused on: HACCP and risk management; having the right suppliers for the right raw materials; In line monitoring and quality control of all raw materials and all produced feeds and traceability throughout the value chain.
Our feeds comply with national and EU legislation for feed production and are under control of the national veterinary and feed authorities and subject to external audit. By these efforts we guarantee our clients a healthy and safe feed which helps achieve the best results.
What is the percentage of the share of the Aller Aqua Company in the production of the local market for the fish feed industry and the percentage of its sale in the Egyptian market?
Egypt’s booming aquaculture production has been witnessed worldwide. The share of aquaculture in Egypt’s total fish production between 2000-18 rose from 47 percent to 75 percent, reaching 1.35 million tonnes. Our government hopes to continue to increase per capita fish consumption as a means of providing an affordable, domestically-produced protein source to our quickly-growing population of nearly 100 million.
With more than 900,000 tonnes of Tilapia harvested annually, Egypt has risen to become the sixth-largest aquaculture producer in the world. And the growth is projected to continue as it is a governmental direction to reach Egypt’s Vision 2030 goals. The feed industry estimated that Egypt’s aquaculture feed market demand would exceed 1.5 million tonnes annually this year.
The country has more than 80 privately-owned mills expected to produce 90 percent of the total feed output. Currently, 40 to 45 percent of the feed comprises conventionally pelleted products, while 60 to 65 percent are extruded feeds.
What future goals - and main challenges - is the company working to achieve?
We believe in the future of aquaculture so our mission is to develop and produce fish feed in partnership with fish farmers to optimise production of fish in harmony with nature and to benefit human health and the quality of life.
Challenges. That is a very big topic. I cannot sum it all up, however In the near future local challenges include: How to sustain demand of farmed fish over supply; Egypt needs to heavily invest in fish marketing and post-harvest processed and support dialogue between sector stakeholders and decision takers among the Egyptian authorities.
At Aller Aqua sustainability is a core part of what we do. Sustainability is part of our strategy and we work continuously to improve different areas of our business. We support the UN SDG’s that apply to all our activity internally and towards the communities we serve.
What are the developments that the company will witness in the coming period that you think will help to improve the field of feed industry in Egypt?
As Egypt’s largest producer of high quality extruded fish feed, we feel that we can help the sector by transferring our knowledge to the farmers through supporting schemes to promote the sector, through seminars and as the situation is at the moment, through hosting webinars with information relevant to customers. We also want to see more farmers convert to the highly efficient extruded feeds, which are equally more environmentally friendly than alternatives.
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