The world’s largest fly farm is about to open in South Africa as part of an initiative to produce sustainable feed for chicken and fish, reports Business Insider.
AgriProtein, a South African farming company, believes it has a solution to the soaring fishmeal prices and unsustainability of depending on fish to feed fish. It produces MagMeal — animal feed that is made from fly larvae that feeds on waste.
The benefit of MagMeal is two-fold: it offers a sustainable, natural source of protein for farmed animals and provides another way to eliminate garbage.
In 2012, AgriProtein received funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support its insect-based protein product, and the company’s commitment to waste solutions.
“It is not different from what already happens in nature,” said Jason Drew, the founder and director of AgriProtein. “The anomaly is what we do now — 30% of the fish we take is not consumed by humans, but rather fed to fishes or chickens. I mean, if a chicken was meant to eat fish it would be called a seagull.”
AgriProtein, founded in 2009, started building its first industrial-scale factory in May 2014. The plant, which can house more than 8 billion flies and produce 22 metric tons of larvae every day, is set to open next month, according to Drew.
Read the full story here.
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