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Green rooibos extract aids tilapia growth – study

Farmer's Weekly

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26 September - 3 October 2025

Adding green rooibos extract to tilapia feed improves fish growth rates and feed efficiency, according to a recent study at Walter Sisulu University (WSU).

- By Glenneis Kriel

The trial, led by Prof Grace Okuthe, senior researcher at WSU’s Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, compared standard commercial fish feed with feed enhanced by fermented as well as unfermented green rooibos extract.

Tilapia given the green rooibos supplement grew about 2,84% faster and converted into body mass 0,9% more efficiently than the control group.

Okuthe told Farmer’s Weekly that these numbers may look small, but in commercial aquaculture even small gains translate into lower costs, shorter production cycles and reduced environmental impact.

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