Blue Ridge Aquaculture opens its own feed mill

Tilapia producer Blue Ridge Aquaculture has opened a $5 million aquafeed mill in Martinsville, Virginia.

Rudy Tanjung | Bigstock.com
Rudy Tanjung | Bigstock.com

Tilapia producer Blue Ridge Aquaculture has opened a $5 million aquafeed mill in Martinsville, Virginia.  

By producing its own feed, the company says it will save 25 percent on feed costs when the plant is fully operational. Blue Ridge officials say the mill needs to make four tons of feed per hour to keep up with demand; the mill has a capacity of five tons per hour, which will allow it to sell surplus feed it produces.

Blue Ridge Aquafeeds, which is located next to its fisheries, produces tilapia feed made up of corn, soybeans, fish and poultry meals, and vitamin mix, according to reports. The mash is mixed with water to form a dough-like substance that is cut into noodles and fed to the fish.

The plant has been operational since mid-July, and the company says it is still tweaking its feed formula to ensure it has optimal levels of nutrients. The company’s goal is healthier fish that grow faster, therefore allowing it to increase production.

Blue Ridge Aquaculture, founded in 1993, says it produces 4 million pounds of tilapia and per year and uses 10 tons of feed per day. According to its website, it is the world’s largest producer of tilapia using indoor recirculating aquaculture systems, which maximize water re-use through the removal of solids, bio-filtration, gas balancing, oxygenation and disinfection.

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