Common black fly larvae added to list of alternative protein source in animal feed

The black soldier fly is a common, widespread fly of the Stratiomyidae family.

After a meeting with the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s Agricultural Product Standards Committee on Thursday, Deputy Agriculture Minister Anucha Nakasai said the committee had approved six new or updated items in agriculture standards. The items include BSF larvae for animal feed, updated durian farming methods, good hygiene practices (GHP) for egg collection centres, good agricultural practices (GAP) for growing orchids, GAP for sesame farming, and guidelines for analysing risks of food-based antimicrobial resistance drugs.

Anucha said these standards are crucial for elevating the quality of Thai agricultural products and bringing food up to international standards, ensuring safety and building consumer confidence both domestically and internationally, as well as promoting Thailand to become the world’s kitchen.

Better agricultural standards will also help farmers sell their products with a bigger profit margin, thus enhancing their living standards, he said.

Anucha added that one of the key topics at the meeting was the standard for BSF larvae as animal feed. The committee acknowledged that BSF or black soldier fly larvae could serve as a good source of protein that is easy to raise, has low breeding costs and few natural enemies.

After hatching, the larvae grow fast, consuming a variety of organic materials and only producing organic, decomposable waste that makes the raising process sustainable and environmentally friendly. BSF larvae are also high in nutritional value, making them suitable as a key ingredient in feed for fish, chicken and pig farming.

The meeting on Thursday also upgraded the regulations for mushroom manufacturing, in place since 2016, to standards that will ensure the production of quality mushrooms. Currently, there are more than 60 companies registered for large-scale mushroom farming.