A French-owned biotechnology company, Cycle Farms, has launched its first factory in Ghana.

This has raised the prospect of lower fish feed prices, which is a major hindrance to the expansion of aquaculture production in Africa.

Although substantial amounts of fish meal are exported from West Africa to feed fish farms in Asia, almost all aquaculture production in Africa is based on imported soya bean.

The objective of producing insect-based feed for fish and poultry production has been seen as the most sustainable means for the future, a release made available to Ghanaian Daily Graphic states.

The state media further states that Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larva has been identified by several research groups as a viable alternative source of protein to fish meal for feed.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Cycle Farms, Mr Marc-Antoine Luraschi, said, the company was attracted to Ghana by the stable economic environment and the maturity of the fish production sector, the release noted.

Starting from a modest 3,500 metric tons in 2019, he said production would be steadily scaled up to satisfy the expanding Ghanaian market.

The release announced that from Ghana, the company - sited in Tema - “hopes to move to other African countries to support aquaculture and poultry industries. Aquaculture is crucial to the African population’s nutrition.

Fish production needs to be increased to meet domestic needs, and local production will save substantial amounts which are spent on imports. We want to lend a hand in this area,” he stated.

The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens, family Stratiomydae, order Diptera)  according to research conducted in some Ghanaian universities is a specie of fly that is already present in Ghana

Researchers that studied the Black Soldier ants includes: at the University of Ghana, the University for Development Studies, the CSIR Water Research Institute, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Energy Commission, Ghana Wild Life Department, CABI and others.

The researchers showed that the Black Soldier Fly larvae rearing was an environmentally friendly and economical way for local protein production.