Commiting to growth in China with opening of new LifeStart production line

The double celebration is significant as it signals Skretting’s confidence in the future of China’s aquaculture industry, and its commitment to supporting its long-term growth. As China is the largest animal protein market in the world, where seafood is second only to pork, Skretting and its parent company Nutreco have chosen to boost production capabilities to serve the LifeStart segment, and become the most value-driven nutrition company in China.  

“China is one of the most dynamic and competitive markets globally, not just in scale, but in speed of development, diversity of species, and evolving customer needs. Within the global Nutreco organisation, China plays an increasingly strategic role as a key market,” says Bastiaan van Tilburg, CEO of Skretting. “Our ambition in LifeStart in China is high. We aim to be the undisputed leader in this space by 2030, particularly for salmonids, shrimp and marine fish,” he adds. 

LifeStart products are feed products fed to larvae and juveniles in the first few months of their life, in order to influence the quality and success rate of farming through the whole production cycle. The feeds can also be given to the parent animal used for reproduction, so as to influence the quality and yield of egg production. The new range of LifeStart products from Skretting China are aimed at addressing key challenges in China’s aquaculture industry, such as weak fry resilience, susceptibility to disease, and slow growth rates. 

“We believe Skretting has strong opportunities in China and across greater Asia because the industry is shifting toward more advanced, sustainable and performance-oriented farming practices,” says Jason Yang, General Manager of Nutreco China. “Customers are looking for more precise nutrition, better health support, and trusted brands. All of these align with Skretting’s global strengths.”