Challenges in cricket farming
High cost of high protein feed: approximately half of the production cost is feed, which is commercially produced by the chicken industry. Therefore, cricket farming is vulnerable to price increases in the chicken feed industry, which undermines profitability. Research is needed to find low cost or free protein sources to develop into a special feed formula for crickets.
Disease: currently, disease risk is almost non-existent. However, in the future, with continuing high density cricket populations, disease problems are likely to arise. There have been a few cases of crickets dying without any disease symptoms or pathogens. It is suspected that overcrowding or contamination by fungi in the feed may have been the cause.
In-breeding: is another risk as many cricket farms are closed units using breeding stock produced on the farm. Already on some cricket farms the effects of in-breeding are visible with less active and slow-maturing crickets.The problem seems to arise after three generations, so sourcing breeding stock and eggs outside the farm should be a recognized best practice for all farmers.