Fish Feed Auto-distribution

Fish farms are looking for a practical and cost-efficient automatic feed distribution system to improve the feeding process. The proposed solution will result in improved feeding routine per basin, increased production, and more efficient utilization of manpower.

An invitation to electrical and mechanical engineers, electronics engineers and nutrition technologist to come up with a system that distribute the feed automatically and include a mechanism to adjust feeding timing according to the environmental conditions that affect the fish need for nutrition at a cost less than 5000 Egyptian pounds.

Winners will get a reward of 25,000 EGP provided by the USAID's SEED and Project to implement their solution, in collaboration with Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ocean Queen Fish Farms, in addition to further support to commercialize their solution.

Overview:

Fishery in Egypt is one of the most important sources of national income and is one of major sources of protein, accounting for 25.3% of the average protein consumption in the household. Fish consumption is 23.5 kg per person every year.

The fisheries in Egypt occupy large areas of more than 13 million feddans, equivalent to about 150% of their agricultural land. These sources can vary between salt waters which include the sea, such as the Red and Mediterranean Red Sea, including the lakes and the lakes of Manzala, Al-Borlos, Bardawil, Edco, Qaroun, Mariout and Lake El-Marsa, and Port Fouad Port, and fresh water sources, such as the Nile River with branches, canals and banks. In addition to these natural sources, man has developed other artificial ones such as Nasser and Lake Al Rayan, as well as fish farms located in different parts of Egypt.

Aquaculture is the main source of fish production in Egypt. In 2014, aquaculture production was more than 1.1 million metric tons, accounting for about three-quarters of the country's total fish production. In the same year, fishery production amounted to 741,344 metric tons. The sector provides employment for 816,000 people (150,000 in the aquaculture value chain and 666,000 in fisheries). Most of the country's fish production is consumed in the country, providing the equivalent of one fish per person per week. In 2014, only 28,000 metric tons of fish were exported.

The Problem:

Ocean Queen Fish Farm and fish farmers face a problem in the feed distribution; requiring specific times that vary according to the environmental conditions that affect the fish's need for nutrition and requires a human effort to distribute the feed equally and continuously. Therefore, workers should be available for the distribution of feed 2-3 times per basin, thus limiting the possibility of expansion as it is difficult for workers to perform their work efficiently and high productivity.

Ocean Queen Fish Farm has tried to solve the problem by using a cage containing feed that is opened when touched by fish, but this idea did not work with large quantities or different types of fish.

The Challenge:

The challenge is an innovative and efficient automatic feed distribution system on fish farms to improve the feeding process, resulting in increased production and help workers save time, effort and perform their work with better productivity without wasting in the feed. The proposed solution should fulfill the following requirements:

 

• The base of the machine shall not exceed (1-1.5) (1-1.5) square meters.
• The quantity and timing of feed distribution can be adjusted as needed
• The amount of feed can reach 100-200 kg.
• That covers about 20-30 meters area for feeding
• To distribute the feed automatically according to the need.
• To distribute the feed in equal quantities
• It is easy to move from farm to farm.
• The device does not exceed EGP 5,000
• It can work for long periods during the day and throughout the year as some fish can remain in the tub throughout the year
• Ocean Queen Fish Farm can provide Basins for trials .

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Reward and Condutions: 

The winner will receive a reward of 25,000 EGP provided by USAID's SEED Project to implement the solution, in collaboration with Ocean Queen Fish Farm, according to the following conditions:

• The solution should meet the aforementioned criteria;
• The solution should be provided as a prototype design that serves as a proof of concept;
• The solution should include a clear plan of action including implementation stages, timeline, required tools/materials, estimated budget, and technical support required (if applicable);
• The reward will be given in installments, in accordance to milestones set by the innovator(s) according to their plan of action;
• As per our platform Privacy Policy, in case the intellectual property rights are not registered, the innovator should include the minimum details required to judge the technical validity and feasibility of the solution without full technical specifications.

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