Fish · seabream grow-out

Seabream grow-out feed: harvest grade, FCR and delivered cost

Gilthead seabream grow-out feed is bought against a biomass plan to a market harvest grade, usually 300–500 g, across a 14–20 month cycle. Feeds are compared on cost per kg harvested rather than price per tonne, because FCR and water stability decide how much of the feed is actually converted.

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Who buys at this stage

Cage farms contracting cycle volume to a fixed market grade
Producers comparing two feeds on cost per kg harvested
Operations with certification requirements imposed by retail customers

Form and packaging

Pellet size steps tied to fish weight and grading plan
Big bags common at cage sites; state handling capability
Delivery to quay, barge or cage stated in the RFQ

Commercial feed types

Extruded marine grow-out pellets

Sizes stepped through the cycle to the harvest grade.

Pre-growing and finishing diets

Specified separately where the programme uses them.

What the RFQ must specify

Biomass plan, juvenile numbers, target harvest grade and cycle length
Recorded FCR and tonnage per period, with a seasonal profile
Pellet sizes, water stability, certifications and batch documentation
Quantity per shipment and committed annual volume
Delivery point, port and preferred Incoterm
Delivery schedule and acceptable lead time
Packaging and pallet or bulk handling constraints
Certifications and documents required with each shipment
Currency, price basis and how long the price must hold

What moves the cost

Marine and vegetable raw-material markets
Water stability, since feed that breaks up is paid for and never converted
Extrusion energy cost and packaging format
Sea and port logistics to cage sites

Storage and shelf life

Limited cage-site storage; schedule rather than stockpile
Protect from sea spray, humidity and direct sun
Handle big bags carefully to limit fines

Certifications and documents to ask for

GMP+ B1 / FAMI-QS or an equivalent feed safety scheme
HACCP plan and the mill's own quality manual
Certificate of analysis per batch (proximate analysis, moisture)
Mycotoxin, salmonella and heavy-metal testing regime
Traceability of raw materials and batch numbering
Non-GMO, halal or organic certification where your market requires it
Country-specific feed registration and import documentation

Supplier evaluation checklist

Installed capacity against your monthly tonnage, not just the annual total
Evidence of supplying the same stage and pellet form commercially
Batch consistency record and how out-of-spec batches are handled
Lead time from order to delivery, and behaviour during raw-material volatility
Price basis: fixed, indexed to a named raw material, or reviewed periodically
Delivery capability to your point, Incoterm and vehicle or vessel constraints
Technical support available on-site and the escalation route when results slip

Worked commercial example

Illustrative arithmetic on the inputs shown — not a benchmark, a price or a performance promise. Replace every figure with your own.

· 1,000,000 juveniles, 5 g to 380 g, 87% survival
· Biological FCR 1.75, 4% feed loss
· Delivered extruded feed 1,520 per tonne

→ Harvest biomass ≈ 331 t
→ Feed ≈ 638 t across the cycle, ≈ 40 t a month on average
→ Feed cost per kg harvested ≈ 2.93, economic FCR ≈ 1.93

Size the volume first

Other fish stages

Tilapia fingerling feed Tilapia grow-out feed Catfish grow-out feed Salmon grow-out feed Trout grow-out feed Seabass grow-out feed

Questions buyers ask

How do I compare two seabream feeds fairly?

On cost per kg harvested. Hold survival and harvest grade constant, enter each feed's recorded FCR and delivered price, and read the difference. A dearer feed wins whenever the FCR gain exceeds the price gap.

Does pellet water stability matter to the budget?

Yes. Feed that breaks up before it is eaten is paid for and never converted, which shows up as a higher economic FCR. Specify water stability and ask how it is tested per batch.

Does FeedMatch sell seabream feed?

No. FeedMatch is independent and supplier-neutral; every requirement is reviewed by a person before suppliers are approached, and no price, supply or performance is guaranteed.

How the request is handled

You submit the requirement, a person at FeedMatch reviews it, and only then are qualified suppliers approached on your behalf. Offers come back normalised to the same delivered basis so they can actually be compared. No supplier receives your details automatically and no introduction happens without that review.

Submit a feed project request

FeedMatch Group is an independent, supplier-neutral procurement platform. We are not a feed manufacturer, trader, nutritionist, veterinarian or lender, and we do not guarantee prices, supply, FCR or animal performance. Figures on this page are indicative commercial planning ranges, not specifications. Every requirement is reviewed by a person before any supplier is approached, and no supplier receives your details automatically. Last reviewed 16 September 2026.