REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Self-reliant fish feed technology can reduce fish culture cost by more than 50 percent, according to a Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) official.

"This technology is important because fish feed account for about 60 to 70 percent of the fish production cost," Achmad Poernomo, the head of KKP's Research and Development Center, said here on Monday.

In a press statement released by KKP on the occasion of a Focus Group Discussion on self-supporting fish feed production, Poernomo noted that KKP has been encouraging people to become self-reliant in fish culturing.

For this purpose, he asserted, fish farmers need economically efficient good quality fish feed.

In order to support it, KKP's research and development agency has been issuing two fish feed formulator certificates in two locations of self-reliant fish feed technology community: in Kampar District, Riau Province, and Gunungkidul District in Yoyakarta.

The self-reliant fish feed formulator certificates are given to self-reliant feed producers who have received guidance on the feed formulation technology from KKP's Balitbang researchers.

Poernomo remarked that the feed formation was important because the procurement of feed accounted for 60 to 70 percent of the total cost of freshwater cultured fish production.

Raw materials used by the Fresh Water Research and Development Agency consist of eight to 21 types and are rich sources of protein, adhesives, vitamins, minerals, and cod-liver oil.

Poernomo pointed out that in order to meet the target of 7.6 million tons of fish production per annum, a large amount of fish feed, up to 8.73 million tons, is needed.

Some 60 percent of the feed are required for various kinds of freshwater fish. Some of the local varieties are 'nila,' 'patin' catfish, 'lele' catfish, goldfish, and 'gurame' fish.

"We want to develop fish feed in a self-supporting way so as to create food sovereignty," Poernomo emphasized.

Earlier, Riptanto Widodo, a self-reliant fish formulator with the Mina Village Cooperatives in Gunung Kidul, Yoyakarta, said his cooperatives sold fish feed at Rp7,000 per kg, while the fish feed produced by factories cost some Rp10,000 to Rp11,000 per kg.

Besides their low price, self-reliant fish feed can last for six months. However, fish feed made by factories smell rancid in three months, he observed.

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