A game changer in the booming Turkish aquaculture industry

Bora Aydemir, managing director of a joint venture between the BioMar Group and the Sagun Group that will produce a range of fish feeds.”

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A joint venture between the BioMar Group from Denmark and the Sagun Group of Turkey, BioMar-Sagun has established a greenfield fish feed factory in Söke, Turkey, that went on stream in the middle of 2016.

BioMar-Sagun, the new company, has high ambitions on contributing to the development and innovation of the Turkish aquaculture industry, by combining BioMar’s more than 50 years’ global expertise in aquafeeds with the Sagun Group’s solid local knowledge and experience in the field.

Introducing new feed concepts to farmers

With the new factory, a large range of high performing and specialised feeds is being introduced to the Turkish aquaculture industry. The feeds have different formulae that are used in different growth stages and seasons for the purpose of ensuring the best economic performance of the farms. “This is new for the industry”, says Bora Aydemir, the managing director of the joint venture. “In the past the composition of the ingredients, and in particular the proportion of fat and protein in the feed, was the only factor fish farmers paid attention to. But now by using BioMar’s Performance Concept, we are supplying highly targeted fish feeds that are optimised to deliver a potential feed performance that can fully exploit the growth potential of the farmed species without being dependent on any particular protein or fat source.”

“This is now possible and available to the Turkish fish farmers due to BioMar’s extensive research carried out in order to reduce the dependency on existing sources of protein (e.g. fish meal)”, says Mr. Aydemir. “We hereby gain flexibility in securing the performance of the fish, free from shortages or price hikes in the raw materials to be utilised. Within the Performance Concept, the feeds are adapted to secure optimal survival, growth and financial yield, with specific ingredients required for specific purposes. The feeds have become much more complex and farmers have to get used to this new regime”.

World class approach to fish feed supply

Producing high quality fish feed demands not only special ingredients but also state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and not the least the expertise to utilise these resources. Moreover, a world class approach to managing all the processes from sourcing raw materials to delivering the end product to the customers is also essential. At BioMar-Sagun, similar to all other BioMar units, production processes are automated to keep track and full control over the processes, and quality assurance protocols are applied throughout the whole production process from sourcing to production and further on to delivery of the final feed product to customers.

“At the factory we can show our customers how the production works and that it is controlled throughout by BioMar-Sagun. They feel reassured that this is a good way to produce feeds that deliver predictable, constant performances”, explains Mr Aydemir, adding that farmers today ask for a significantly improved documentation in relation to the deliveries of fish feed.
BioMar-Sagun’s offer to the Turkish aquaculture is not limited to the feed as an end product. The company has a competent technical support team to provide guidance for right usage of the feed, appropriate nutrition and feeding strategies and other farm management related support. Utilising Sagun Group’s solid presence and knowledge in the market, the company also secures error-free logistics and delivery services.

State-of-the art factory

The new feed plant currently produces feed for trout, seabass, and seabream and is able to supply fish feed for the full life cycle of the different farmed fish species. The plant in Söke has started production with feeds ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm in pellet size and expects to increase production with smaller sizes in the month to come. “Sales from the Turkish company will not be restricted to the domestic market,” says Bora Aydemir who aims at selling feed to neighbouring countries, too.

The capacity at the factory is currently approximately 50,000 tonnes per year. Mr Aydemir expects that in a couple of years the factory will reach its full capacity and if more is needed then the site has enough area to expand the production.

A trusted and innovative partner for long-lasting cooperation with the farmer

Bora Aydemir stresses that it is important for BioMar-Sagun to be known by the fish farmers in Turkey and in the region as a trusted and long-term feed supplier that utilises the strengths of both joint-venture partners. Mr. Aydemir concludes: “Being a joint venture between two giant companies enables us to com
bine BioMar’s unique expertise in fish feed that is developed through innovative and extensive R&D efforts and Sagun Group’s local knowledge and experience. We are confident that this collaboration will play a significant role in raising the bar in Turkish aquaculture industry.”