46. Tiger Animal Feeds are the largest specialized animal feed producer of Zambia. While poultry, pig and dairy feeds constitute the bulk of its production, the company is also involved in formulating and making fish and crocodile feeds. The company benefits from highly qualified staff, feedmill equipment and agreements with a European company for fish feed. Production levels vary with demand, with poultry feeds topping the list. The company has focused on developing formulas for various feeds to ensure constant product quality and consistency. All feeds are formulated with 95 percent of high quality and laboratory-checked local raw ingredients (wheat flour, maize meal, cooking oil).
47. Fish feed is formulated and presented to match the needs of all stages of fish development: mash or fine form for fry and fingerlings, crumbled pellets for young fish, pellets for fish in last growth stages and floating pellets suited to cage and pond feeding. Supply fish feed in several bag sizes to farmers through door-to-door deliveries or outlets across the country. Tiger Animal Feeds are currently looking into increasing their export volume to other African countries. Feed price is largely determined by cost of raw materials and production methods, hatchery feed being more expensive than other feeds. Prices can be negotiated with the purchase of large volumes and the company provides credit facilities to its customers.
48. Tiger Animal Feeds have reported a steady demand for its fish feed and acknowledge that the promotion of commercial aquaculture has helped increase awareness of commercial feeds and their advantages. While market opportunities for the company are mainly local and demand-driven, a strategy of cost-benefit analysis is being developed to convert farmers to switch from traditional unprocessed feed to the company’s products. The steady supply of high quality feed and provision of credit facilities has contributed to the economic success and positive image of the enterprise. In addition, negative environmental impacts linked to the use of formulated pellets have been minimized with the use of natural ingredients. Tiger Animal Feeds have benefited from the existence of a niche market for fish feed products and from other factors such as availability of skilled and educated people, high fish consumption, political and economic stability and abundant water resources in Zambia.
49. Prospects for future development exist and are linked to the possibility to expand the company’s production capacity and explore new markets for fish feed in Africa and beyond. Potential to diversify feed production to target new species also exists. The need to produce affordable feeds is paramount and should be supported by government subsidies to feedmills to reduce the cost of raw materials, and economic incentives (e.g. tax exemptions) as well as a regulatory framework. Working with fish farmers will allow them to benefit directly from the company’s activities. However, some challenges remain: currency and exchange rate fluctuations, ever-changing cost of raw materials and non-substitutability of some ingredients and high cost of credit. Efficiency improvements and reduction of costs of production need to be achieved, along with reaching farmers, increasing awareness about benefits of commercial fish feeds and gaining governmental support.
