The international fish feed ingredients market was worth USD 56,000.4 million in the year 2023. Demand for fish feed ingredients increased year to year by 2.8% in 2024, and therefore the global market would be worth USD 58,686.9 million in the year 2025. Overseas sales, between the forecasted period of 2025 to 2035, will have a CAGR of 2.8% and, on aggregate, will be the value of sales by the end of the last forecasting year as USD 77,352 million.
Demand for nutritious, high-grade aquaculture feed propels the fish feed ingredient market. Fish meal and fish oil remain the most essential ingredients for maintaining growth, health, and immunity in cultured fish. Due to rising demand for protein-enriched fish products, the market demand for effective fish feed formulations is growing.
The transformation towards the more sustainable aquaculture and the greater emphasis on reducing the aquaculture's environmental footprint is driving innovation in fish feed ingredients. This encompasses innovation of replacement ingredients, i.e., algae, plant protein, and insect feed, to de-emphasize dependence on traditional sea-based ingredients.
Attributes | Description |
---|---|
Estimated Global Fish Feed Ingredients Industry Size (2025E) | USD 58,686.9 million |
Projected Global Fish Feed Ingredients Industry Value (2035F) | USD 77,352 million |
Value-based CAGR (2025 to 2035) | 2.8% |
The major propelling force for the fish feed ingredients sector is sustainability. There is a growing demand for substitutes to fishmeal being created by a need to reduce aquaculture's impact. Algae, insects, and plant proteins are being researched and utilized as alternatives to traditional fish meal and fish oil.
In addition, as health-oriented consumers increasingly call for more sustainably caught fish food, the fish feed industry is answering with using denser nutrients and more sustainable feed. That is to optimize feed formulae for delivering greater farmed fish nutrition value as a response to swelling consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable seafood.
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The following table presents a comparative study of variation in six-month CAGR between the base year (2024) and the current year (2025) in the global fish feed ingredients market. The study reflects the major variations in performance and gives an impression of trends in the realization of revenue, thereby making it easy for stakeholders to have a clear vision for growth in the year. The first half (H1) is from January to June and the second half (H2) is July to December.
Particular | Value CAGR |
---|---|
H1 (2024 to 2034) | 2.5% |
H2 (2024 to 2034) | 2.6% |
H1 (2025 to 2035) | 2.6% |
H2 (2025 to 2035) | 2.8% |
For the first half (H1) of the 2025 to 2035 decade, the market will expand at a CAGR of 2.6%, followed by a marginally increased growth rate of 2.8% for the second half (H2) of the decade. The growth rate will grow faster in the second half of the decade since the industry continues to evolve towards sustainable practices and the growing demand for protein from fish. In H1 in the decade, the market recorded a growth of 10 BPS, and in H2, the company will have faster growth of 20 BPS.
This trend-ride development path places the fish feed ingredients market on a course of long-term success during the projection period. In general, the fish feed ingredients market is in positive growth mode for the remainder of 2025.
While factors such as raw material price volatility and supply chain restraints remain an issue, long-term market projections are favourable with continuous demand for sustainable high-grade feed. Increased technological innovations in feed, expansion of aquaculture production, and consumer trends shifting towards sustainable level seafood production will shape the future of the market in the next few years.
Global fish feed ingredients market is moderately to highly concentrate as a result of new Chinese entrants, regional players, and multinationals. The drivers of the market include high demand for aquafeed with high quality, sustainability, and necessity for alternative sources of proteins. Regional players are involved in providing locally manufactured and processed fish feed ingredients for the sustenance of aquaculture industries.
Local industry actors have big markets in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. USA and Canadian enterprises produce high-quality fish feed products such as fishmeal, fish oil, plant protein, and additives in North America.
The local industry within the region focuses on sustainability by employing substitute ingredients such as algae protein and insect meal to avoid reliance on traditional fishmeal inputs. The United States and Canada have enormous aquaculture industries with demand for high-quality fish feed.
Local Norwegian, Danish, and Scottish producers are the dominant producers of the European market. The three nations have developed aquaculture industries, i.e., salmon aquaculture, most dependent on improved quality feed ingredients. European producers stress eco-sustainable production of feeds with a higher ingredient quality content of next-generation products such as microbial proteins, single-cell proteins, and omega-rich algae.
The European market is regulated highly, and the players in the market must be of very high quality and sustainability. As a whole, the Asia-Pacific region, i.e., India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, is fortunate to have an abundance of local fish feed ingredient suppliers.
The Indian and Thai next-generation aquaculture businesses are also dominating the list with the first two being number one for value-for-money ingredients demand for fish feeds. Domestic interests of both these nations are at the forefront of cheapening fish feed and rendering it cost-friendly to the masses. The top exporters and domestic fishmeal and crop material feed ingredients suppliers are Vietnam and Indonesia.
Chinese companies hold sway in the global fish feed ingredients market with their humongous production capacity and monumental supply chains. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of fish feed, and domestic enterprises emphasize mass production and cost saving. Chinese enterprises are also exploring vegetarian feed ingredients like fermented soy protein and insect proteins to make it sustainable.
Paradigm Shift towards Sustainable & Alternative Sources of Fish Protein Feeds
Shift: The world aquaculture market is shifting more and more towards sustainable fish feed ingredients based on overfishing problems, environmental sustainability, and availability. Conventional fish meal and fish oil based on wild fish are less sustainable and less expensive as a result of uncertainty with the supplies. Therefore, alternatives have been insect meal, algae, single-cell proteins (SCPs), and plant proteins of the same or superior nutritional value.
Strategic Response: Big aquafeed manufacturers are heavily investing in alternative and sustainable aquafeeds. Skretting (Norway) has promoted microalgae-based aquafeed that minimizes the consumption of wild fish oil but maintains valuable omega-3 fatty acids. Cargill has increased production of aquafeed from insect protein in Europe and Asia, with trials showing enhanced fish growth rate and feed conversion.
Ÿnsect, the global leader in insect protein, collaborated with aquaculture operators to supply fish feed containing mealworm protein to reduce fish meal reliance by up to 40%. Alternative proteins are being sought out by companies to meet sustainability challenges and maintain high-performing feed formulations.
Greater Emphasis on Functional Ingredients for Fish Health & Immunity
Shift: Aquaculture manufacturers more and more seek fish feed and the bare minimum in highest quality nutrition, like functional ingredients promoting fish health, immunity, and disease resistance. Shrimp, salmon, and tilapia disease outbreaks have brought colossal losses, which have raised increasing interest in probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and phytogenics promoting gut health as well as immune function.
Strategic Response: Producers of fish feed have turned to meet this demand by incorporating immunity-stimulating additives into feed given to fish. BioMar, a Danish firm, has supplied probiotic-enriched aquafeeds that boost gut microbes and reduce disease mortality in shrimp culture by 25%. ADM has sold fish feed with phytogenics and organic acids that boost nutrient absorption and immunity of fish against environmental stressors.
Ridley Aqua-Feed Australia employed beta-glucans and nucleotides as a functional feed additive in their feed that caused resistance of fish to bacterial and viral disease. Functional feed ingredients are now a competitive edge for brands who would like to enhance survival rate of fish and profitability of the farm.
Rise of Precision Nutrition & AI-Driven Feed Optimization
Shift: Aquaculture companies are moving towards precision nutrition where feed formulation is species-specific, growth phase-specific, and condition-specific. Application of feed optimization using AI is being increasingly adopted as the need to reduce wastage in feed consumption and optimize the FCRs rises while trying to reduce costs through increased production efficiency.
Strategic Response: Artificial intelligence, sensor technology, and machine learning are being combined with the feeding strategy to make it more optimal. Nutreco-owned Skretting recently launched AquaSim, an artificial intelligence-based feed management system that learns fish feeding habits to reduce feed loss to enable farmers to save between 12% of feed. Cargill's iQuatic system relies on real-time data to customize feed recipes for the aquaculture species in question in an attempt to enhance overall growth rates by 18%.
Adjuster smart feeding technology has been made available to Indonesian startup eFishery, which modulates release of the feed according to appetite of the fish, which means 30% less feeds. All these technologies make aquaculture farming more efficient but turn aquaculture farming into a profitable and sustainable venture at the same time.
High-Premium Non-GMO and Organic Fish Feed
Shift: Due to shifted patterns of consumption among consumers towards organic, non-GMO, and eco-friendly seafood, aquaculture farmers seek appropriate-quality natural aquafeed alternatives. Japan, North America, and Europe have premium markets with growing demand for GMO-free organic aquafeeds with no synthetic additives or antibiotics.
Strategic Response: Organic and non-GMO fish feed products are being developed by companies to cater to high-end segments. BioMar has launched organic-certified aquafeed for trout and salmon in the European market, allowing fish farmers to sell their products as premium organic seafood.
Zeigler Bros. in the United States has launched a series of non-GMO fish feed products for environmentally friendly consumers, which has recorded 22% growth in sales from organic seafood farms. French firm Le Gouessant is selling organic shrimp feed based on sustainable sea-derived ingredients, capitalizing on the trend for clean-label aquaculture products in demand. Organic seafood is popular with manufacturers, and they are investing in certification and openness as it attracts high-value customers.
Fermented and Postbiotic-Based Fish Feed Ingredient Growth
Shift: There is greater interest seen in fermented fish feed ingredients and postbiotics that provide enhanced health, nutrient digestibility, and bioavailability to the gut of farmed fish. Fermentation improves protein content, destroys anti-nutritional factors, and deposits good metabolites that enhance the growth of fish and render them resistant to disease.
Strategic Response: Aquafeed firms are adding fermented and postbiotic ingredients to their aquafeed. Alltech created fermented soybean meal for fish feed to enhance protein digestibility and gut health, and registered 10% increased tilapia growth rates.
Evonik launched postbiotic-enriched fish feed additives to enhance immunity and minimize antibiotic usage, enabling farmers to realize aquaculture without antibiotics. Thai Union's feed business is testing fermentation-based fish meal alternatives, minimizing footprint while enhancing fish health
The following table shows the estimated growth rates of the top five territories expected to exhibit high consumption of fish feed ingredients through 2035.
Countries | CAGR 2025 to 2035 |
---|---|
USA | 1.8% |
Germany | 2.2% |
China | 3.7% |
Japan | 1.1% |
India | 2.4% |
Rising demand for quality aquafeed solutions that promote sustainable fish farming and enhanced nutrition are driving robust expansion of the USA fish feed ingredients market. But overfishing and environmental damage have raised concerns about fish farming today, and fish farmers as well as feed manufacturers are searching for alternative protein sources to help cut the quantity of traditional fish meal used in aquaculture.
Indications are also pushing a move towards plant-based, insect meal and algae-based feed that accomplishes similar nutritional benefits and improves sustainability.
Also, supportive regulatory policies for the production of green feed are promoting the adoption of low carbon fish meal substitutes and functional feed additives. Various innovations include fermentation-based sources of protein and microbial feed ingredients, and omega-3-rich microalgae, with support from the USA government and industry stakeholders to improve the nutritional profile of fish feed and mitigate the ecological footprint.
As a result, the USA market is emerging as a national epicenter for innovative, sustainable feed solutions that successfully meet the needs of a continually evolving aquaculture sector.
Germany Fish Feed Ingredients Market has been growing at a stable rate over the past few years owing to the regulations imposed by the European Union promoting sustainable aquaculture practices while minimizing the usage of wild caught fish for feed production. As part of the EU’s wider emphasis promoting environmental sustainability, fish farmers must use more responsible and traceable feed ingredients, which has driven a boom in demand for organic-certified, non-GMO, and sustainably-caught fish feed components.
Aquaculture businesses in Germany priorities the use of high-performance feed formulations that organization these natural ingredients for optimal nutrient absorption, and therefore improving fish health while minimizing waste. In line, manufacturers are increasingly investing in fermented plant proteins, microbial protein sources and algal-based feed supplements rich in omega-3.
By enhancing fish growth and immunity, these feed options not only adhere to a sustainable approach but also cater to the increasing consumer demand for sustainable and responsibly-raised seafood products. Germany expects upward trajectory growth in demand for advanced sustainable fish feed ingredients due to its strong foundations of national food strength, sustainability, and commitment to regulate food systems.
The Chinese fish feed ingredients market is increasingly expanding with the country's burgeoning aquaculture activities, heightened demand for cost-effective protein sources, and firm government alliances for sustainable fish farming. The world's biggest aquaculture producer, China, has been importing alternative protein feed to diminish the dependency on fish meal and enhance the feed conversion ratio.
More and more alternative protein sources are used in pet food, including fermented soy protein, single-cell proteins, and black soldier fly meal, since those ingredients can be added without impact on the environment and provides high nutritional value.
Moreover, China has been investing heavily in biotechnology for Aquafeed, particularly in precision feeding technologies, enzyme-based digestibility enhancing, and bioactive feed ingredients. These improvements are also enhancing fish growth rates and minimizing feed waste and aquaculture sustainability.
The increasing average age and levels of consumers’ awareness regarding food quality and safety have propelled demand for responsibly farmed seafood in China, therefore driving the need for innovative sustainability-tethered fish feed alternatives.
The nation is the most populous and the largest aquaculture-producing country in the world, and with continued government support for R&D into novel Aquafeed technologies, it is expected to lead the next-generation fish feed formulations for the long-term growth and sustainability of China's aquaculture industry.
Segment | Value Share (2025) |
---|---|
Protein-Rich Fish Feed (By Type) | 67.2% |
Protein-based fish feed segment holds the highest market share of 67.2% in 2025. Quality proteins are crucial in the nutrition of aquaculture so that fish can reach the maximum growth, have an immune response, and well-being. This includes traditional protein sources such as fish meal, insect meal, soybean meal, and single-cell proteins, which all help to lay the foundations for producing balanced nutritional feed formulations.
Alternative proteins in aquaculture Feed accounts for around 60% of the cost of cultivated fish. As demand for sustainable high-protein feed ingredient continues to grow, producers are creating new sources of alternative proteins to reduce dependence on the use of wild-catch fish meal. Fermented plant proteins, krill meal, and algal-based fish feed have been increasingly applied for aquaculture purpose due to their high digestibility and low environmental footprint.
Aquaculture nutrition is also seeing the emergence of novel protein sources such as black soldier fly larvae meal and bacterial protein meal. These new alternatives bring a sustainable, high-quality source of nutrients to fish farmers looking to increase feed efficiency and reduce their ultimate environmental footprint while helping meet sustainability goals for seafood farming at the global level.
Segment | Value Share (2025) |
---|---|
Functional Additives & Omega-3 Enriched Feed (By Type) | 32.8% |
These functional additives and omega-3 enriched feed category is estimated to represent a 32.8% share of the market by 2025 as the drive for knowledge of fish health, immune response and feed performance intensifies. Prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, essential fatty acids, and enzyme additives fish feed.
This category denotes those fish feeds that are fortified with prebiotics, probiotics, important fatty acids, and other enzyme additives, through which the digestion as well as disease resistance, and overall performance of fish improve. As the world turns to aquaculture for the majority of its seafood needs, ensuring optimal feed formulations through the use of functional additives is becoming an increasing focus for fish farmers and feed manufacturers.
Along with sustainability concerns, businesses are responding with sustainable omega-3 sources like DHA from marine microalgae, astaxanthin-possessing krill oil, and plant-based omega-3 supplements. These options create a renewable, quality source of the essential fatty acids needed with a reduced reliance on wild-caught fish oil.
High-value fish feed now also incorporates bioactive peptides and functional amino acids to enhance protein utilization, stress resistance, and growth rates. Ongoing innovation develops fish feed to achieve functional benefits in sustainable and efficient aquaculture.
The fish feed ingredients market is a highly fragmented market, where the fundamentals are shifting away from traditional proteins, the bioactive feed additives space is becoming increasingly novel and new approaches to feeding sustainable aquaculture are becoming pillars of nutrition efforts. They are also investing in insect-based proteins, microbial fermentation technology and plant-derived omega-3 alternatives.
This sector is dominated by the leading manufacturers with NGSs like Cargill, Skretting, BioMar, Alltech, and Ridley Corporation, who are involved in the precision formulations of fish feeds, protein optimization, and functional ingredients development. Several companies are increasing their Asia-Pacific and Latin American operations to meet growing demand for aquafeeds.
This includes collaboration with biotechnology companies, investments in enzyme-thinned fish feed and innovation of environmentally-friendly protein combinations. Manufacturers are also focusing on sourcing sustainable ingredients and producing carbon-neutral feed.
For instance
The global fish feed ingredients industry is projected to reach USD 58,686.9 million in 2025.
Key players include Cargill, Skretting, BioMar, Alltech, and Ridley Corporation.
Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate due to high demand for aquafeed in commercial fish farming and growing sustainability initiatives.
The industry is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 2.8% from 2025 to 2035.
Key drivers include rising demand for sustainable aquafeed, increasing use of alternative protein sources, and growing focus on functional fish feed formulations.
The market includes a variety of ingredients such as Fish Meal, Fish Oil, Soybean Meal, Grain-based Meal, Vegetable Oils, Vitamins & Minerals, Poultry Meal, Blood Meal, and Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, ensuring a rich nutritional profile for animal feed.
These ingredients are widely used in different types of aquatic and marine feed, including Fish Feed, Salmon Feed, Carp Feed, Tilapia Feed, and Catfish Feed. They also cater to Mollusks such as Oyster Feed and Mussel Feed, as well as Crustaceans like Crab Feed and Shrimp Feed.
The market is segmented as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, East Asia, South Asia & Pacific, Central Asia, Russia and Belarus, Balkan & Baltic Countries, Middle East and Africa.
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