ON-FARM MADE DIET FOR TILAPIA IN THE DISTRICT OF BULELENG, BALI
Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is popular table fish and easily rose at high stocking rate in captivity. Artificial and complete feed to attain fast growth and production is necessary. Almost 70% of total production cost is consumed for buying a feed. Increase of feed price will influence margin income of fish farmer. Since commercial feed price tends to increase, fish farmer generates low income. On-farm made feed hopefully can reduce feed price, but not yet well run because of low quality feed producing and comparable production cost with commercial feed. This study of proposing to evaluate local diet using available local feed ingredients produced by fish farmer group for tilapia culture was conducted in the year of 2015 in Babetin village, sub-district of Sawan, District of Buleleng, Bali Province. The study followed some steps, namely: (1) survey on local feed ingredients easily founded in the surrounding area of Buleleng, (2) formulating tilapia diet using selecting local feed ingredient with considering nutrient composition following SNI tilapia feed and production cost of on-farm made diet. The results show that there were 21 potential local feed ingredients kinds easily founded in Buleleng, but eight of them were selected for tilapia diet formulation containing 27-29% crude protein and pricing Rp 5,375 per kg. These ingredients were local fish meal, polar, fine rice bran, below standard corn meal, fish oil, commercial vitamins and mineral mix, and tapioca.
Dry pelleted feed was produced by fish farmer using pelleting machine and was distributed to 8 fish farmers to be fed on tilapia raised at a stocking density of 20 fingerlings per m2 in pond. After three months of feeding period, tilapia of 3.5±0.28 g individual average weight grew up to 104.57±28.60 g with the values of survival rate, production per m2 and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 90.25±3.65%, 1.89±0.02kg per m2 and 1.44±0.05, respectively. Fish size at yield was sold to the next growing up to table fish in cage. The production performance of tilapia fed on local diet vs. commercial diet was comparable, but value of FCR (1.44) at local diet was higher commercial diet (1.2). However, the price was cheaper at local diet (Rp. 5,375 per kg) than at commercial (Rp. 10,000 per kg). It means that fish farmer using local feed could more generate income than using commercial diet.