“From breeding to hatching, rearing, and processing, a controlled environment under one roof is necessary to maintain production safety. The analysts point out that, on the way to scaling up, design of the plant will be a critical success factor for climate control and to prevent transmission of pathogens and other contaminants. Some pet food companies also state that the market could absorb more if the availability were higher.” Aquafeed companies state that the lack of available volume is one of the key reasons for not using insect proteins, as they deal with large quantities and production runs. “At least currently, the demand for insect protein seems higher than its supply.
#SURPAC REPORT TONNAGE METRIC FULL#
Some of these plants are already working at, or close to, full capacity, and some have yet to be opened – most of these players have global plans to build multiple production facilities. The industry’s first challenge is the lack of scale, said those seafood specialists.Ĭurrent volumes of insect protein are at around 10,000 metric tons globally, led by a few larger-scale producers and many small-scale players, said the analysts.Īfter producing smaller quantities at test facilities, many of the leading industry players - mealworm producers, such as Ynsect in France, or black soldier fly farmers like UK-based AgriProtein, Netherlands-based, Protix, and France-based InnovaFeed - have built larger facilities to produce at scale. “With ongoing R&D, we expect the development of new insect products with specific functions for gut health, palatability, disease resistance, and perhaps even uses beyond feed, such as in pharmaceutical products for example.” Looking to other avenues for future growth, there ie significant potential for value-added applications for insects as well. But, at the current price level, excellent nutritional qualities alone are not enough for the widespread use of insect proteins.” Current obstacles to growth Insect proteins have proven nutritional qualities for fish. “Only a few thousand metric tons of insect proteins are used in aquafeed today.
Right now, pet food is the largest market for insect proteins, followed by the aquafeed market, but as a niche ingredient.
While sustainability aspects and functional benefits support demand growth, high costs and prices, the current limited production capacity, and legislation are the main factors limiting growth of the sector, according to their new publication: No Longer Crawling: Insect Protein to Come of Age in the 2020s. From that point on, it will take much less time to double or even quadruple production volume and exceed one million metric tons.” After reaching half a million metric tons, it will get easier for the industry to expand supply. Efficiency gains due to increasing technology, automation, improvements in genetics, and legislative changes will also enable costs to decrease. “The insect industry is on a path to increase scale, backed by investments and partnerships. Beyhan de Jong and Gorjan Nikolik, senior analysts, seafood, Rabobank, say reaching that tonnage milestone in 2030 would be a major turning point for the insect industry.
0 kommentar(er)
