SEMARANG – Maritime and Fishery Ministry (KKP) targeted fish food self-production of 16.9 million tons can substitute around 3% import in 2015. Moreover, KKP also targeted to lower the production cost of fish culture by lowering fish food cost gradually.
KKP Fish Culture Director General, Slamet Soebjakto, explained the amount of fish or shrimp food needed by the country reaches 9.27 million tons. Sixty percent of the target is for fresh water fish food.
“The main target is to lower production cost burdening the farmers due to fish food cost contributing for 70-80% of total price is targeted to be less than 50% or even to 35% within five years,” said Slamet in the sidelines of KKP working visit to Kendal, Ambarawa, and Boyolali, Central Java on Friday (1/16).
Slamet said to achieve the target, KKP holds a program themed Independent Fish Food Movement (Gerpari). The movement aims to improve fresh water fish food production efficiently with guaranteed supply. With Gerpari, he said, KKP identified production potentials and issues among fish farmers.
He expected Gerpari can realize cultured fish production target up to 31.3 million tons in 2019. The number comprises cultured sea weed and fish either fresh water or not. Fresh water production improvement is deemed directly related to food resilience while non-fresh water production is related to export.
For the first phase, KKP will focus on identifying the related issues to boost Gerpari such as raw materials to make fish food, fish farmer’s needs, alternative sources and supply sustainability, production system, and potential threat.
“Fish farmers pay the cost up to 80% per kilogram only for fish food cost so their margin is low. With Gerpari, we seek alternative raw materials by ensuring supply and technology availability. Our target is to seek raw material sources which can lower food conversion ratio (FCR),” Slamet explained.
In the similar occasion, Jepara Brackish Water Cultured Fish Agency Head, I Made Suitha, said if they only rely to the fish foods sold at market, farmers must spend IDR 9 thousand per kilogram. Meanwhile, if they use their self-producing food, farmers only spend IDR 4,500 per kilogram.
“This method will improve protein. As the result, FCR will get lower around 0.6-0.4. At the condition, fish can get fat more quickly so harvest time can be quicker,” Made said.
Meanwhile, KKP Culture Facility Director, Dwika Hardikiawan, said his office plans to give aid in form of fish food production machine having bigger capacity to farmers. Therefore, his office will re-distribute eight machines with bigger capacity costing IDR 8 billion which will be conducted after the completion of study and identification for Gerpari.
“The biggest target is to improve fish food self-production to lower import. In the future, this self-produced fish food will be standardized and commercialized so it can supply culture fish farmers. We expected to boost local fish food supply from 30% to 60% within 5 years,” Dwika said.
Slamet added boosting culture fish food production by farmers must also be supported with the availability of excellent fish parents and seeds. It can be measured with the guarantee to provide supply for a region without having to obtain supply from other regions.
“The availability of parents and seeds will boost production hike acceleration since the parents and seeds can adapt with their surrounding environment so they will grow faster and fish food usage will be more efficient. This is the main key to improve culture fish production and economy improvement in a region,” Slamet said. (Investor Daily)
