Domestic fish production in Finland is thriving, as Finland’s only fish feed factory operates under a new name reflecting its new ownership. The company formerly known as Raisioaqua is now operating as Alltech Fennoaqua Oy.
The company, which was previously owned by the Raisio Group, was recently acquired by Finnforel Oy and Alltech. The new name, Alltech Fennoaqua Oy, is a reference to the company’s home country of Finland and the region around the Baltic Sea.
Alltech Fennoaqua ensures Finnish domestic aquaculture production as a result of its domestic feed production in Raisio, Finland. Before the acquisition by Alltech and Finnforel, fish feed production in Finland was under threat. If the factory had shut down, Finland’s rainbow trout would have been entirely dependent on foreign feed.
“Fish feed production could have stopped in Finland without this change of ownership,” said Tomi Kantola, CEO of Alltech Fennoaqua. “After that, one could have questioned whether fish raised in Finland could actually be called Finnish in the end. Now, Alltech Fennoaqua will continue to provide Finnish feed for fish raised by Finns.”
Fish feed is a core business of the new owners of Alltech Fennoaqua, who are pioneers in nutrition for fish in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The volume of production at the Alltech Fennoaqua factory will increase to accommodate additional production of RAS feeds. Alltech Coppens, Alltech’s aquaculture nutrition company, will also support the company through its RAS farming contacts and aid in developing new sales channels around the world for the feed produced within Finland.
“RAS farming is the future,” Kantola said. “Alltech Coppens has a research center in the Netherlands, which we can now use in our own research activities. Thanks to the research center and the available capacity, we can expand our production to include feeds used in RAS farming.”
Along with these ample resources for research and product development, the new ownership will also enable the expansion of the company’s operations abroad. Alltech Fennoaqua’s primary focus is on increasing exports, and thanks to Alltech Coppens’ global distribution, the company will be able to begin exporting feed to a much broader market, with a focus on neighboring countries and regions, including Sweden, Poland, the Baltic countries, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Alltech Fennoaqua will continue to develop, manufacture and sell fish feed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and the circular economy. The company’s main focus is on producing feed that provides the highest level of nutrition, which benefits the fish and, as a result, the end consumer.
“Nutrition is the most significant factor in the growth of fish,” Kantola said.
The future is bright for the Finnish aquaculture industry, as Finns like eating fish — and are particularly interested in eating fish from Finland. One-third of the fish eaten by Finns is produced domestically. The average Finnish person eats 12.5 kilos of fish per year, with 4.2 kilos being domestic and 8.3 kilos being foreign.
“Domestic fish is fresh, healthy and, of course, tasty,” said Kantola. “The production of domestic fish feed ensures that Finnish fish can be grown if the import of foreign fish or fish feed is interrupted.”
With more than 80% of Finns reporting that they would like to increase their fish consumption, Alltech Fennoaqua is perfectly positioned to continue growing domestically and abroad.
