By Daniel Merrifield
The recent release of Alltech’s Agri-Food Outlook 2026 provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the state of the global aquafeed industry. Each year, the report offers a valuable overview of global feed production and the trends shaping our sector. This year, after several challenging years, the numbers are more positive.
In 2025, global aquafeed production increased by 4.7 percent, equivalent to almost 2.5 million metric tonnes, reaching 55.47 million tonnes. That represents one of the strongest annual increases seen in recent years and reinforces aquaculture’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing feed sectors.
However, the numbers only tell part of the story. Perhaps the most significant message emerging from this year’s report is not simply that aquafeed production increased but why it increased. Much of the recent growth reflects recovery. Shrimp markets have stabilised following several difficult years, salmon production has regained momentum and many countries continue to transition from small-scale or farm-made feeds towards commercial compound feeds. Commercialisation of inland aquaculture, particularly across Asia and Africa, is also accelerating. These structural changes are important because they represent long-term shifts in how aquaculture is developing, rather than short-term fluctuations in production.
Although global production increased, the report highlights just how differently the world’s aquaculture industries continue to evolve.
Asia remains the world’s largest aquafeed-producing region and the cornerstone of global aquaculture production. Although overall growth was a modest 2.4 percent, this still represents almost 900,000 tonnes of additional feed. India continues to establish itself as one of the industry’s most important growth markets, expanding by 5.5 percent to almost 2.9 million tonnes, driven largely by the commercialisation of inland aquaculture. China also continued its steady expansion, reinforcing its dominant position within the sector. In contrast, Japan serves as a reminder that mature aquaculture industries are not immune to demographic and economic pressures, with labour shortages and increasing production costs contributing to declining feed production.
Latin America once again demonstrated why it has become one of the most dynamic aquaculture regions globally. Aquafeed production increased by 11.4 percent, adding almost 780,000 tonnes to reach 7.64 million tonnes. Recovery of Ecuador’s shrimp industry, continued expansion of Chilean salmon production and steady growth of Brazilian tilapia all contributed to this impressive performance. The region continues to strengthen its position as a major global aquaculture producer.
Africa emerged as the fastest-growing aquafeed region in 2025, with a massive 27.5 percent increase in production, mostly driven by Egypt. Egypt remained the continent’s dominant aquaculture producer, with aquafeed production increasing by approximately 36 percent, despite continuing challenges associated with water availability and competition for freshwater resources. The continued intensification of production and increasing adoption of commercial compound feeds suggest that significant growth potential still exists across many African markets.
Perhaps more importantly, these findings align closely with the conclusions of the recent FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report, which identified Africa as one of the world’s most promising regions for future aquaculture expansion (as I discussed in last month’s issue of International Aquafeed). It is encouraging to see this reflected not only in long-term projections, but also in measurable increases in commercial aquafeed production. While Africa’s contribution to global aquafeed output remains modest, its current trajectory suggests it represents the next major growth opportunity for our industry. As aquaculture continues to develop across the continent, the availability of high-quality, nutritionally balanced commercial feeds will be fundamental to improving productivity, supporting fish health and strengthening food security.
Europe also enjoyed a strong year, with aquafeed production increasing by 6.7 percent, led primarily by Norway’s salmon sector, whilst Oceania continued to build steadily from a relatively small base, increasing production by 6.4 percent.
Not all stories were positive. North America recorded a modest decline of approximately 27,000 tonnes or 2.1 percent. Whether North America’s flat performance reflects the maturity of the sector, regulatory uncertainty surrounding salmon farming, or simply a pause before further investment remains to be seen. Venezuela experienced a 7 percent decline in aquafeed production following the government’s takeover of Grupo Lamar, the country’s largest shrimp producer and a major vertically integrated aquaculture and aquafeed business, highlighting the impact that political instability and policy decisions can have on feed production and food security.
While the overall picture is encouraging, the report also reminds us that the industry’s challenges have by no means disappeared. Ingredient markets remain volatile, particularly for marine raw materials such as fishmeal and fish oil, placing continued pressure on feed manufacturers’ margins. Environmental pressures continue to shape production in key aquaculture nations, while water availability is becoming an increasingly important constraint in leading production countries such as Egypt and China. Geopolitical uncertainty also remains a significant risk, with recent events demonstrating how quickly policy changes can disrupt regional feed production.
Despite this, the report suggests that aquafeed production will continue to grow during 2026, although probably at a more measured pace as global supply and demand begin to rebalance following this year’s strong recovery. Latin America is expected to remain one of the industry’s strongest-performing regions, while continued commercialisation of inland aquaculture across Asia and Africa provides further opportunities for expansion. At the same time, margins will remain sensitive to raw material costs, marine ingredient availability and broader geopolitical uncertainty.
Of course, for feed manufacturers, success is not only about producing greater volumes of feed. It increasingly depends upon formulation flexibility, efficient manufacturing, robust procurement strategies and the ability to respond rapidly to changing ingredient markets. Innovation in ingredient evaluation, alternative proteins and Omega-3’s, precision nutrition and functional feeds is therefore likely to become even more important over the coming decade. Future success will depend not simply on producing greater volumes of feed but on delivering feeds that improve efficiency, support fish health, reduce environmental impact and remain economically competitive in an increasingly volatile marketplace.
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