Established in 2021 and located in Khaireni, Chitwan, Annapurna Maccha Dana Udhyog is a medium-scale, state-of-the-art fish feed factory in Nepal. The company produces fish feed under the brand “Matsya Raja—Dana haru ko Raja” to meet the needs of its own fish production operations and local market demand.

Annapurna’s SCADA automated plant, equipped with Austria-based Andritz technology, has a capacity of 33,000 tonnes annually and 2,750 tonnes per month when operating two shifts per day. The production rate is 5 tonnes per hour for 4-mm feed pellets, distributed across all provinces. Since the beginning of its CASA partnership, Annapurna’s workforce has grown from 26 to 41 employees, including four women.

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Improving Competitiveness and Productivity of Agribusiness through Quality Feed Production, Supply, and Distribution

CASA partnered with Annapurna during a critical growth phase to improve feed quality, expand market reach, and drive industry innovation. Technical assistance was provided to enhance nutritional formulations with local and international nutritionists, supported by the integration of Feedcalc, a global feed formulation software. This enabled Annapurna to produce cost-effective, high-quality fish feed for both pangasius and carp, making the products internationally competitive. CASA also supported an extensive marketing and outreach campaign, particularly in Provinces 2, 3, and 5, to engage smallholder farmers. This included scoping studies by Junior Technical Assistants, demo ponds for hands-on training, and climate-smart aquaculture sessions to promote sustainable practices suited to local conditions.

To strengthen brand positioning, CASA facilitated improvements in packaging and labelling through design and packaging experts, ensuring clarity, appeal, and adherence to international best practices. Internal capacity was enhanced through gender sensitisation training and a revised HR framework promoting inclusion and zero tolerance for harassment. At the industry level, CASA organised three workshops to share the business case for locally-produced pangasius feed, encouraging replication among other manufacturers and expanding access to affordable, high-quality feed for smallholders nationwide. Additional support included first-aid training for Annapurna’s staff, and improving workplace safety and preparedness while contributing to sustainable growth in Nepal’s aquaculture sector.

As a result of the partnership with CASA, Annapurna created 15 new jobs, four held by women in key roles such as HR, sales, supply chain, and finance, surpassing initial gender inclusion goals. The company also significantly expanded its client base, registering 35 institutional fish farms and increasing sales by 20% through demo-ponds and awareness campaigns, well beyond the expected four to five new buyers. The collaboration successfully developed a strong business model that attracted a strategic investment of £1.183m (NPR 216.8 million) from Team Ventures, signalling investor confidence in Annapurna’s growth potential. While financial forecasts are promising with expected revenues of £2.02m (NPR 370 million) in FY25 and potential sales reaching £8.1m – £9.8m (NPR 1.5 – 1.8 billion) in the future, risks remain from seasonal fluctuations, market competition, and input costs, underscoring the need for effective sales growth and risk management to sustain long-term success.

Updated: August 2025