Fish feed eats up 60–70% of a catfish farm’s running cost in Nigeria. Get the brand and pellet size wrong and your margin disappears. This guide gives you the May 2026 prices for every major fish feed brand sold in Nigeria, by 15kg bag, pellet size, and floating or sinking type.
Raw material costs jumped again in 2025. Maize, soybean meal, and imported fishmeal climbed past 20% year-on-year, and a weaker naira pushed premium imports higher. ThisDay reports the same pressure across poultry and aquaculture inputs.
Fish Feed Prices in Nigeria 2026 (Brand Comparison)
Most fish feed in Nigeria ships in 15kg bags. Premium imports cost 3–6x more than local brands, but they convert feed to fish weight faster. The table below shows current retail prices from Afrimash, Jiji, and Lagos wholesale markets in May 2026.
| Brand | Origin | Type | 15kg Bag Price (₦) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coppens (Alltech) | Netherlands | Floating | 44,000 – 72,000 |
| Skretting | Norway / Nigeria plant | Floating | 23,000 – 58,500 |
| Aller Aqua | Denmark | Floating | 32,000 – 72,000 |
| Multi Feed | Nigeria | Floating / Sinking | 14,500 – 26,000 |
| BluCrown (Blue Crown) | Nigeria | Floating | 28,020 – 35,000 |
| Vital Feed (Grand Cereals) | Nigeria | Sinking | 8,800 – 14,500 |
| TopFeed Aqua | Nigeria | Floating | 25,000 – 31,905 |
| Aqualis | Nigeria | Floating | 30,000 – 38,650 |
| EcoFloat | Nigeria | Floating | 21,570 – 27,000 |
| Durante | Imported | Floating | 26,000 – 60,000 |
| Local mill (mixed) | Nigeria | Sinking | 9,000 – 17,800 |
Prices vary by pellet size, retailer, and whether you buy single bags or wholesale. Premium imports drop 5–10% per bag when you buy 50+ bags from depots in Lagos, Ibadan, or Onitsha.
Floating vs Sinking Fish Feed
Pick floating feed if you raise catfish in concrete or tarpaulin ponds. You can see what the fish eat and adjust portions on the spot. Floating feed costs more because it goes through extrusion, which improves digestion and cuts waste.
Pick sinking feed for tilapia, earthen ponds, or fingerlings under one month. Sinking pellets cost less but sink fast, so you risk overfeeding without seeing it.
Pellet Sizes and What They Match
Pellet size has to match fish size. Feed a small pellet to a big fish and you waste feed. Feed a big pellet to fingerlings and they cannot eat it.
| Pellet Size | Fish Stage | Average Fish Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5mm – 1mm | Fry / fingerling | under 5g |
| 1.5mm – 2mm | Juvenile | 5g – 50g |
| 3mm – 4mm | Post-juvenile | 50g – 200g |
| 6mm | Grow-out | 200g – 600g |
| 9mm | Table size / brood | 600g and up |
Coppens, Skretting, and Aller Aqua: The Premium Imports
These three brands dominate top-end Nigerian fish farms. They cost more, but feed conversion ratios sit near 0.9–1.1 — meaning a kilo of feed builds close to a kilo of fish. Local brands run 1.3–1.6.
Coppens (Alltech Coppens): A 15kg bag of Coppens Pre Grower or Advance ranges ₦44,000 to ₦72,000 depending on pellet size. Counterfeits sell for ₦14,000–₦16,000 in some markets. Buy from authorised dealers only.
Skretting: Skretting opened a plant in Ibadan, which trimmed delivery cost. A 15kg bag of Skretting Superior 2mm runs about ₦23,000 wholesale at HTS Farms; 4mm and 6mm sit between ₦35,000 and ₦58,500.
Aller Aqua: A 15kg bag of Aller Aqua Float costs ₦32,000 to ₦72,000 depending on pellet grade. Stock comes in through Lagos and Port Harcourt importers.
Local Floating Feeds: Mid-Range Pick
BluCrown, TopFeed Aqua, and Aqualis sit between premium imports and pure local mill feed. They use extruded floating pellets and offer 1.1–1.3 conversion ratios at half the import cost.
- BluCrown 15kg (2–9mm): ₦28,020 on Afrimash
- TopFeed Aqua 15kg (2–9mm): ₦31,905 on Afrimash
- Aqualis 15kg (2–9mm): ₦38,650 on Afrimash
- EcoFloat 15kg (3–9mm): ₦21,570 on Afrimash
Vital and Sinking Feeds: Cheapest Option
Vital Feed from Grand Cereals is the only local fish feed endorsed by the Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN). A 15kg bag costs ₦8,800 on Afrimash. It sinks, so it suits earthen ponds and tilapia better than concrete catfish setups.
Pure local sinking feed from small mills runs ₦9,000–₦17,800 per 15kg bag. Quality varies. Test a small batch before committing.
Sample Cost Sheet for 1,000 Catfish (6 Months)
| Item | Cost (₦) |
| Pond rental, 6 months | 14,000 |
| Pond preparation (earthen) | 11,000 |
| Netting and labour | 6,000 |
| 1,000 juveniles at ₦25 each | 27,000 |
| Feed: 74 bags floating, ₦25,000 average | 1,850,000 |
| Feeding labour, 5 months | 13,000 |
| Logistics, 5 months | 15,000 |
| Security, 5 months | 7,000 |
| Medication | 5,000 |
| Cropping | 6,000 |
| Total | 1,954,000 |
Feed alone takes 94% of the budget. Switch to local sinking feed and total cost drops to about ₦780,000, but harvest weight drops too.
Why Fish Feed Prices Keep Rising in Nigeria
Raw Material Inflation
Maize, soybean meal, fishmeal, and cassava form the base of every fish feed. All four compete with human food and poultry feed. Maize prices rose past ₦750,000 per tonne in early 2026, up from ₦480,000 a year earlier.
Naira Weakness
Coppens, Skretting, and Aller Aqua import most of their concentrate. When the naira slides against the euro and dollar, the bag price moves the same week. The 2024–2025 currency reforms doubled the landed cost of imported fishmeal.
Energy and Logistics
Diesel for trucks and feed mills sits above ₦1,000 per litre. Every bag absorbs that cost from mill gate to your pond.
Tariffs and Port Delays
Imported additives, premixes, and finished feed pay duties at Apapa and Tin Can. Demurrage from port congestion adds another ₦300–₦800 per bag for slow clearances.
How to Cut Your Fish Feed Bill
- Buy 50+ bags directly from a depot. Wholesale knocks 5–10% off retail.
- Mix premium and local feed by stage. Use Coppens or Skretting for the first 8 weeks, then switch to BluCrown or Vital for grow-out.
- Train workers on portion control. Overfeeding by 10% wastes about ₦185,000 per 1,000-fish cycle.
- Form or join a cooperative. Group orders qualify for distributor pricing.
- Check pellets for mould before paying. Wet bags lose nutrition fast in Nigerian humidity.
FAQ
What is the price of fish feed in Nigeria in 2026?
A 15kg bag of fish feed in Nigeria costs between ₦8,800 (Vital Feed) and ₦72,000 (Coppens or Aller Aqua premium grades) in May 2026. Mid-range local floating feed sits around ₦25,000–₦35,000.
How much is a bag of Coppens fish feed in Nigeria?
A 15kg bag of Coppens (Alltech Coppens) costs ₦44,000 to ₦72,000, depending on pellet size and dealer. Pre-Grower 2mm sits at the lower end; Advance Float 6mm hits the top.
How much is Skretting fish feed in Nigeria 2026?
Skretting Superior 2mm in a 15kg bag costs about ₦23,000 wholesale. The 4mm to 6mm grades range ₦35,000–₦58,500. Skretting opened a Nigerian plant in Ibadan, which keeps prices lower than other imports.
What is the cheapest fish feed in Nigeria?
Vital Feed at ₦8,800 per 15kg bag is the cheapest CAFAN-endorsed brand. Local mill sinking feed can go below ₦9,000 per bag, but quality varies.
Should I use floating or sinking feed for catfish?
Use floating feed for catfish in concrete or tarpaulin ponds. You see what they eat and avoid waste. Use sinking feed only for earthen ponds, tilapia, or fingerlings under one month.
What pellet size do I feed my catfish?
Match pellet size to fish weight: 1mm for fry under 5g, 2mm for juveniles up to 50g, 4mm up to 200g, 6mm up to 600g, and 9mm for table-size or brood stock.
Why is Coppens fish feed so expensive in Nigeria?
Coppens is imported from the Netherlands. The bag price reflects euro exchange rates, port duties, and freight. The trade-off is a feed conversion ratio near 0.9 — close to a kilo of fish per kilo of feed.
How many bags of feed do I need for 1,000 catfish?
You need about 70–80 bags of 15kg floating feed to grow 1,000 catfish from juvenile to 1kg table size over six months at a 1.2 conversion ratio.
Where can I buy fish feed wholesale in Nigeria?
Afrimash, Jiji, HTS Farms, and depots in Lagos (Mile 12, Iddo), Ibadan, Port Harcourt, and Onitsha sell wholesale. Authorised dealers for Coppens, Skretting, and Aller Aqua list contacts on the brand websites.