Asia-Pacific Aquatic Feed Market - Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031)

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.3%, reaching USD 52.72 billion in 2031 from USD 42.63 billion in 2026.

Aquafeeds are compounded meals made up of a range of base ingredients and additives that are designed to feed a wide variety of aquatic animals. These mixes are created and delivered according to the species and age-specific requirements. Aquafeed is essential for the normal growth and health of aquatic animals. It also helps in the reduction of stress, susceptibility to illnesses, and the enhancement of immunity. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for the majority of worldwide aquaculture production. Both domestic consumption and exports are driving seafood demand in the Asia Pacific region. Several Asian countries, including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, are heavily reliant on seafood in their diets. Owing to the rising earnings along with increased health consciousness, dietary habits in the region are transitioning from a largely carbohydrate-based diet to one that is rich in protein.  Multiple consumers have been urged to choose protein sources such as meat and fish as a result of this shift. Aside from their local use, several Asian countries, including India, China, Vietnam, and others, are eminent exporters of seafood such as fish and shrimp.

Further, the demand for aquafeed in the region has risen due to the rising population, rising disposable incomes, and rising aquaculture production. Additionally, many government initiatives focused on increasing the production of certified sustainable seafood are driving the demand for aquafeed in these regions. However, fluctuating raw material prices, such as fish oil and fish meal, fuel the demand for low-cost replacements, thus limiting market expansion.

In the aquafeed market in India, Litopenaeus vannamei had the biggest share. On average, Indian companies produce a million tonnes of aqua feed annually. Due to its enormous economic worth and export, shrimp is one of the most significant cultivated species worldwide and particularly in Asia. The whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) species, which has been introduced to many Indian coastal states, accounts for the vast majority of the country's overall shrimp cultivation. As a result of the expanding international demand for L.vannamei, India's aquafeed sector for the L.vannamei segment is expected to increase rapidly throughout the analyzed period.

Amino acid production as an additive is predicted to increase rapidly over the analyzed period, due to rising consumer demand for nutritional animal products. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are crucial in animal nutrition. This helps in the production, growth, and overall health of aquatic animals. Similarly, feed acidifiers are expected to develop rapidly in future years. Feed acidifiers are widely used due to their ease of use and high efficiency.

In recent years, Asia-Pacific has held a substantial market share and is likely to continue to do so over the forecasted period. The base of East Asian cuisine, particularly Japanese, Filipino, and Korean cuisines, is seafood. As a result, the domestic aquafeed market in the region is also the largest. China, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and India are the top aqua feed producers in the region. The thriving aquaculture business, which benefits from inexpensive labor and natural resources, is a key driver of regional development. The growing consumption and trade of seafood, particularly in China, have aided this expansion even more.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Market Overview:

Aquatic feeds are nutritionally balanced, compounded meals comprising various base ingredients and additives that are tailored to meet species- and age-specific requirements. These feeds are essential for the normal growth, health, and immunity of aquatic animals, such as shrimp, tilapia, salmon, and catfish. These feeds thus improve the metabolic efficiency and contribute to higher survival and productivity rates in aquaculture systems.

The demand for aquatic feed in the Asia-Pacific region is primarily driven by both domestic consumption and export-oriented aquaculture activities. Countries such as China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan rely heavily on seafood as a dietary staple. Rising incomes and growing health consciousness are prompting a shift from carbohydrate-rich diets to protein-rich alternatives, encouraging greater consumption of meat and seafood.

Additionally, Asian countries such as India, China, and Vietnam are major exporters of fish, shrimp, and other seafood products, further fueling aquatic feed demand. The rising population, increasing disposable incomes, and supportive government initiatives that promote certified sustainable seafood production amplify this growing need.

The 2024 edition of the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) highlights the dominance of Asia-Pacific in aquaculture. The global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022 surged to 223.2 million tonnes, a 4.4 per cent increase from 2020, representing a huge dominance of Asia. Asia accounted for 167.1 million tonnes of global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022, 75 per cent of the world's total. Total fisheries and aquaculture production for Oceania was 1.8 million tonnes. Thus, it also has a huge market for aquatic feed.

High seafood consumption is also one factor driving the market growth. A survey by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and WorldFish recently also found that a staggering 72.1% of the Indian population, equivalent to 966.9 million individuals, incorporate fish into their diet. The FAO SOFIA 2024 report also highlights that the Asia-Pacific region dominates in aquatic food consumption. Asia’s apparent food consumption grew to 116.1 million tonnes, with an annual per capita consumption of 24.7kg, significantly higher than the global average of 20.7 kg in 2022.

Government initiatives in Asia-Pacific countries, such as Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana in India, offer incentives and subsidies in aquatic feed for farmers is also a key factor propelling the market. Additionally, governments' incentives for eco-friendly feed formulations and support for enhancing market access are driving the market.

The aquatic feed market is also shifting towards mergers and acquisitions. There is increasing innovation in products such as functional feeds and the use of plant and insect-based proteins. It is also integrating new technologies like AI and IoT in feed management. The market is also reshaping towards certified sustainable seafood.

The APAC aquatic feed market is highly fragmented due to the large number of players, regional variations, and diverse product offerings. Some of the major players are Avanti Feeds Ltd, Godrej Agrovet Ltd, Growel Feeds Pvt. Ltd, The Waterbase Ltd, Grobest International, Thai Union Group, Inve Aquaculture Inc., Charoen Pokphand Group, PT JAPFA Comfeed Indonesia Tbk, Greenfeed Vietnam, Cargill Incorporated, Nutreco N.V., BioMar Group, Aller Aqua A/S, and ADM Company. However, consolidation activities like acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships are on the rise, due to a lack of advanced formulation or sustainability techniques by smaller players and regulatory pressure for new feed standards. Examples like Cargill's expansion in India, Nutreco joint venture, capacity expansion in Asia, and Thai Union's acquisition of shares in Avanti Seeds account for approximately Bt40 million.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Market Driver:

• Dominance in global aquaculture production

Since the Asia-Pacific region produces the highest amount of the world's farmed fish and seafood, it commands a dominant share of global aquaculture production, which greatly influences the need for aquatic feed throughout the region. China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Thailand are leading the way in this domination because of their long coastlines, rich water resources, ideal climates, and long-standing reliance on fish as a main food source. China alone accounts for nearly one-third of the world's aquaculture production, thanks to its developed infrastructure and government-supported regulations that promote sustainable and scientific fish farming methods.

An unprecedented 130.9 million tonnes of aquaculture were produced worldwide in 2023; 94.4 million of these were aquatic animals, or 51% of all aquatic animal output, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Asia produces 70% of the world's aquatic animals, followed by Europe (9%), Latin America and the Caribbean (9%), Africa (7%), North America (3%), and Oceania (1%).

The swift growth of freshwater fish farming in Bangladesh and India, especially for species like pangasius, rohu, and catla, has increased demand for specially designed feed that improves water quality, feed conversion ratio, and fish growth. Similarly, Thailand and Vietnam have established robust shrimp farming sectors focused on exporting to other countries, which has led to the use of premium feed to satisfy strict international criteria for sustainability and traceability. Strong local consumption and expanding export prospects further reinforce the region's supremacy, generating a vicious cycle of increased aquaculture activity and rising feed demand.

Additionally, farmers are being pushed to switch from traditional feed sources like rice bran or kitchen trash to commercially made feeds that are nutritionally adequate as aquaculture techniques intensify to satisfy the demands of expanding populations and urban markets. The arrival of significant foreign aquafeed corporations, which are funding local production facilities, knowledge transfer, and farmer training initiatives, hastened this shift even more.

The demand for effective, economical, and species-specific aquatic feed is expected to rise rapidly as APAC expands its aquaculture operations in both freshwater and marine environments, securing the region's position as the world's aquaculture powerhouse and a key growth driver for the aquatic feed industry.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Market Segmentation Analysis:

• The use of vitamins is expected to experience notable growth

By additives, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) aquatic feed market is segmented into antibiotics, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, feed enzymes, and feed acidifiers. In the Asia-Pacific aquatic feed market, vitamins are crucial and must be included in aquafeed formulations to ensure the best possible development, immunity, reproduction, and general health of aquatic species. High-performance feed reinforced with vital micronutrients is in high demand as the aquaculture sector in the APAC region continues to grow quickly, especially in leading nations like China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Many physiological processes in fish and shrimp, such as bone growth, metabolic efficiency, enzyme function, stress resistance, and disease prevention, are supported by vitamins A, D, E, K, B-complex, and C.

Aquaculture accounts for about 4% of the world's feed production, or 43 million tonnes, with Asia-Pacific producing 26% of this total. Species-wise, carp production accounts for 30% of the total formulated feed, whereas shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and salmon production receive 15%, 13%, 9%, and 7%, respectively, of the total.

Natural sources of micronutrients are insufficient in intensive farming systems, where aquatic animals are grown in regulated and frequently crowded conditions, necessitating daily vitamin supplements. Vitamin-deficient shrimp and fish can have low survival rates, higher susceptibility to illnesses, poor growth rates, and decreased feed efficiency, all of which can cost farmers money. Aquafeed manufacturers in the APAC area are therefore concentrating more on creating feeds with exact vitamin compositions that are suited to the unique requirements of various species and production techniques.

Furthermore, interest in immune-boosting and stress-reducing vitamins like C and E, which are known to improve resistance to infections and oxidative stress, has increased due to the rising incidence of illnesses in high-density aquaculture operations. The demand for vitamin-enriched formulations that support quicker growth, greater reproduction, and higher-quality products is also being driven by the region's growing use of functional and specialty feeds.

Using high-quality, vitamin-fortified feed is also becoming a crucial compliance component as export markets require traceable, residue-free aquaculture goods and enforce stringent quality standards. As regional and international feed companies increase their research and development expenditures and farmers become more conscious of the biological and economic advantages of balanced nutrition, vitamin inclusion in aquatic feed is anticipated to continue to play a key role in the growth trajectory of the APAC aquatic feed market.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Market Key Development:

• In April 2025, CP Foods announced that it is acquiring the remaining 23.8% in CPP, which operates businesses in Vietnam and China. This investment will enhance the strategic flexibility and operational efficiency of CP Foods in Vietnam.

• In 2025, Skretting opened a new hatchery production line in China to support its growth strategy in the Asia-Pacific aquaculture market. It also launched five new innovative hatchery feed products targeting species such as salmon, tilapia, golden pompano, snakehead, and catfish.

• In 2024, TFM became the first in Asia to receive ASC Feed Standard certification, setting a sustainability benchmark. 

List of Top Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Companies:

• Avanti Feeds Limited

• Godrej Agrovet Ltd

• Growel Feeds Pvt. Ltd.

• The Waterbase Limited

• Grobest International

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Aquatic Feed Market Scope: