Informed Silica+ to replace part of fish meal in shrimp diet

Ceresco Nutrition, a research company that is behind the new technology based on the transfer of vibratory information through an aqueous medium, says their product Silica+ will change the diet formulation in aquaculture feed industry.
The study, conducted at the Prince of Songkla University (Thailand) and published in AQUA CULTURE Asia Pacific, revealed that the Silica+ feed supplement allows the reduction of fish meal from 15 percent to 7.5 percent in shrimp diet.
“The elevation of the protein utilization ratio and the protease activity in the gut of the shrimp receiving diets supplemented with Silica+ suggest that this product enhances protein digestion,” explained Dr. Wutiporn Phromkunthong who supervised this study. “Thus, adding Silica+ to feed will contribute to better growth performance and feed utilization.” As a result, a significant difference was observed between the experiment and control groups in terms of average body weight, final weight gain and feed conversion ratio.
“No ordinary silicon dioxide is capable of delivering this effect,” says Dr. Raj Kasula, Veterinarian and Business Development Director. “We use a high purity grade natural silicon dioxide from the quartz family, and inform it with a specific electromagnetic signal. This information is capable of exciting the water molecules in the intestine thus providing free electrons necessary to enhance the rate of all kinds of biochemical reactions.”
Silica+ works on the concept that all matter (physical, chemical, biological/organic) vibrates at a specific frequency and this vibration can be affected by external factors (bacteria, virus, toxins). When added to feed, the supplement acts like a catalyst by imparting its electromagnetic information on all forms of matter to normalize their vibrations, restoring faster homeostasis of the digestive system. The animal becomes more efficient to digest, absorb and assimilate the nutrients, thus offering better growth and performance. In addition, Silica+ increases dissolved oxygen in water and helps reduce ammonia in litter and manure.

Program for Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2016 announced

The program for the next Aquafeed.com conference, Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2016, has been announced. The 9th edition of the technical conference for aquafeed professionals will take place at the BITEC, Bangkok, on March 29, 2016. It will be in English with simultaneous interpretation into Thai.
The conference, which draws the aquafeed industry together from throughout Asia Pacific and beyond, focuses on advances in feed processing and formulation that bring practical solutions to the commercial aquaculture feed sector.
Early bird registration is now open and offers a discounted registration fee in addition to group and other discounts. Special rates are also available for students and Thai speakers.
"We are grateful to Buhler, Nutriad, Olmix and Wenger for stepping forward to support this year's conference as sponsors," said Suzi Dominy, Aquafeed.com's publisher and the conference organizer. "We applaud their commitment to helping us bring information and knowledge to this specialized and vital sector of the aquaculture industry; they help us reach more people who can benefit from the expertise our presenters bring."

Program

• Welcome: Dr. Juadee Pongmaneerat, Thai Department of Fisheries and Suzi Dominy, Publisher, Aquafeed.com  
• Interactions Of Extrusion And Ingredients For Aquatic Feeds: Joseph P. Kearns, Vice President Aqua-Feed Div., Wenger Manufacturing, Inc., USA 
• Extrusion Technology: Urs Wuest, Director Market Segment Aquafeed, Bühler AG, Switzerland
• Pre-Processing Of Feedstuffs To Improve Their Feeding Value For Aquaculture Feeds: Dr. Dominique P. Bureau, Professor, University of Guelph, Canada
• Gart As A Platform To Investigate Disease Control Strategies Against AHPND/EMS In Shrimp: Dr. ir. Margriet Drouillon, Business Developer Aqua UGent, Belgium
• Advances In Amino Acid Nutrition Of Shrimp: Dr. Alexandros Samartzis, Regional Technical Sales Manager, Evonik (SEA), Singapore
• Experimental Evidence For The Role Of Feed Additives In Aquaculture: Clément Soulet, Product manager – Palatants & Aquaculture, PANCOSMA SA, Switzerland
• Effect Of An Algae-Clay Based Biocatalyst On The Digestive And Growth Performance Of Juvenile Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei): Marie Gallissot, Technical Supervisor, Olmix, France
• Feed For The Future: The Challenges And Opportunities For A Better And Sustainable Aquaculture Industry: Dr. M A Kabir Chowdhury, Global Product Manager - Aquaculture, Jefo Nutrition Inc., Canada
• Functional Feeds – Bad Bug Busters To Reduce The Impact From Disease In Farmed Fish And Shrimp: Dr. Peter Coutteau, Business Unit Manager – Aquaculture, Nutriad International NV, Belgium
• Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2016 will take place in cooperation with FIAAP/VICTAM/GRAPAS 2016 feed and grain industry trade shows at the BITEC, Bangkok.

FAMSUN aquafeed project in China begins production

The turnkey project of the Wuhan Chia Tai Group Aquatic Products Co. Ltd. (CP Group), which broke ground June 6, 2014, began production on April 10, 2015, in Hannan District, Wuhan, China.
The engineering, procurement and construction project by FAMSUN covers more than 92,000 square meters and is worth a total investment of CNY15.49 million (US$2.4 million). The project consists of one extrusion line, two pelleting lines for shrimp and crab feed, two hard pellet fish feed lines and an extra extrusion line. Phase 1 of the project can produce 150,000 tons of aquafeed annually.
With the support of technology and products from FAMSUN, the project features the specialization of aquafeed and automatic production standards including:

• Central batching system: The WEM4000 computer batching system with its high batching precision, can measure the consumption of power, steam and materials of unit product; record equipment deviation and warn the maintenance staff to conduct preventive maintenance; efficient inventory management also ensures the scheduled production to be carried out for timely delivery.
• Automatic sampling: There are 19 autosamplers for the production lines. The samples, after automatic packing and coding, are delivered to the master control room by belt conveyor for testing.
• Products with different specifications can be sampled at one time: For example, the fry feed also can be sampled in the production for crushing feed for fish.
•  Dedicated returning line for the materials to save space and time, reducing labor and the cost of packaging. 

Cargill, Naturisa to build shrimp feed facility in Ecuador

Driven by a historical shift in food production with farmed fish surpassing global beef production for the first time in modern history, Cargill has formed a joint venture with Naturisa to build a $30 million shrimp feed facility near Guayaquil, Ecuador. The transaction involves the construction of a new world-class shrimp feed mill that will produce 130,000 metric tons annually and employ 260 people when the facility is fully operational in 2017.
Cargill will own 75 percent and have managerial control of the day-to-day operation, while Naturisa will retain 25 percent in the joint venture. The investment creates a unique opportunity for Cargill to grow in aquaculture in Ecuador and opens the door to future investment opportunities for other commodities in the market. Through its Americus Marketing Group, Cargill has imported agricultural commodities into Ecuador for several years. Naturisa, Ecuador’s second largest shrimp producer and the fourth largest exporter in the country, is a leader in the aquaculture industry.
“This joint venture with Naturisa positions us to become one of the largest producers of shrimp feed in Latin America,” said Sarena Lin, president of Cargill’s animal feed and nutrition business. “It creates new opportunities for both organizations’ customers and stakeholders. Combining Cargill’s vast resources and global reach with Naturisa’s expertise will allow the new organization to provide the best solutions to our customers and ultimately support the growth of Ecuador.”
The transaction is aligned with Cargill’s animal nutrition business’ growth strategy. The new state-of-the-art facility will combine the latest feed safety technology and product quality capabilities. The Guayaquil facility positions Cargill to achieve its growth plans through increased production capacity and flexibility in product manufacturing, formulation, packaging and logistics for competitive offerings in both Ecuador and Peru. The facility will produce shrimp feed for animal producers marketed under the Purina brand throughout the Latin American region. 
“Naturisa and Cargill share a commitment to high-quality products and services, sustainable, responsible business practices, and both organizations have strong visions for future growth and aspire to be leaders in the aquaculture industry, which makes this partnership an ideal fit,” added Ricardo Sola, general manager of Naturisa.

Cargill China’s first aquatic feed mill opens

Cargill Feed (Yangjiang) Co. Ltd. has opened in China. The new mill was in line with the strategy of Cargill China for aqua feed; it is the first aquatic feed mill, as well as the 33rd feed mill for Cargill China in China.
The new mill, located in Fugang Industrial Park of Yangjiang Hi-tech Zone, is a subsidiary of Cargill Animal Nutrition. The Cargill-owned company is worth US$14.2 million and covers an area of about 33,000 square meters. The new mill, with a design capacity of 200,000 metric tons (the current output is 120,000 metric tons, 60 percent of the output being aquafeed) is equipped with the latest facilities by the giant feed machinery manufacturer FAMSUN, including the MY120*2 Twin-screw extruder and the MUZL1200 Pellet Mill etc.
In addition, the mill has an extra line for extruded fish feed. The production line, with a capacity of 10 metric tons, mainly provide feed for tilapia, grass carp and sea fish.
Currently, the annual output of aquatic products of Cargill China is 100,000 metric tons and, by 2020, the production can amount up to 600,000 metric tons.
Among other investments Cargill has made in China, the company recently established a new Technology Application Center (TAC) in Bazhou, Hebei, China, to help customers in China leverage and apply the best possible feed technologies to help them grow their businesses and wisely use resources. Cargill invested US$250 million to create Cargill China.

Nutrinsic announces grand opening of the first US ProFloc Facility

Nutrinsic has announced the grand opening of its sustainable protein production facility co-located at the MillerCoors' Brewery Water Reclamation Facility in Trenton, OH. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 5,000 tons per year of ProFloc, a high-quality, protein ingredient for use in fish and animal nutrition. ProFloc is produced using patented technology, which upcycles nutrients that would otherwise be undervalued or lost, making it a sustainable and earth-friendly protein source for all types of aquatic and terrestrial animal feeds.
"MillerCoors cares deeply about sustainability in all aspects of the brewing process, and believes waste is a resource out of place," said Denise Quinn, MillerCoors Trenton Brewery Vice President. "That's why we're proud to partner with Nutrinsic, to turn what was previously a waste stream into something of value.
MillerCoors Trenton Brewery has been landfill-free since 2009, meaning it reuses or recycles the majority of its waste and sends less than one percent to a landfill. Nutrinsic will work with the Trenton Brewery to turn waste from its water reclamation center into a protein source for animal feed.

C-Feed builds world’s first industrial plant for copepods

Norwegian company C-Feed has built the world’s first industrial plant for copepods, which are tiny crustaceans that can be used to feed young fish in aquaculture.
The new plant, located in Trondheim, Norway, uses unique technology developed by research organization SINTEF.
The copepods will be used as live feed for fry of ballan wrasse, tuna, lobster, halibut and other marine species. Until now, companies have been unsuccessful in cultivating new species, and the fry stage is often the problem because a large proportion die during the early phase of production.
Salmon can eat dry feed from the first day, but saltwater species need live start feed.
"Until now, cultivating tuna has been an extremely demanding, not to say impossible, process. Our copepods have turned out to be very suitable as baby food for fry, and we believe that tuna could represent a major market for us, since tuna are in great demand with sushi enthusiasts all over the world," C-Feed CEO Rune Bjerke said.
SINTEF so far has produced copepods on a small scale, but will increase production when the plant opens this fall.
“We are greatly looking forward to making the jump from small-scale production to the industrialization of copepod cultivation,” Bjerke said.
Ballan wrasse are in demand in Norway because they eat sea lice that live on the skin of salmon held in fish cages and are very effective in combatting the lice.
“The production of fish-feed for ballan wrasse farmers could become our largest market in Norway,” Bjerke said.
The venture brought in NOK13 million (US$1.7 million) in new capital and has an estimated annual market potential of NOK2 billion.

Early registration for Aquafeed Horizons ends March 31

Discounted early bird registration for the 8^th Aquafeed Horizons Conference ends March 31.
Aquafeed Horizons Conference will be held June 9 in Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany. The series of international conferences focuses on practical application of technology and ingredients in the production of aquaculture feeds. This popular conference attracts aquafeed industry professionals from around the world to learn about the latest advances in this rapidly growing feed sector.
Aquafeed Horizons will be held alongside the FIAAP/VICTAM/GRAPAS 2015 feed and grain shows with an outstanding program of talks by industry professionals and leading-edge practical researchers. The focus of this year’s conference will be the interplay of ingredients and processing, with a close look at new ingredients being introduced to aquafeed formulations.
Pre-registration is required for a guaranteed place. Discounts are available for students and groups. Early Bird discount closes March 31. Registration and full conference are available on the conference website.

Cargill expands Mexico aquafeed facility

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  freeimages.com/kampic

  Cargill Mexico has expanded its animal feed facility in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Cargill Mexico has expanded its animal feed facility in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico.
  With the construction of a new extrusion line for the production of fish feeds at the facility, the company has increased its production capacity by 5,000 tons. The expansion will serve the feed demand for catfish, trout and tilapia of Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula.
  The extrusion process will improve performance, cost and benefits of feed, and its conversion ratio.
  The new line is part of a $16 million investment plan in Mexico and Central America that looks to serve the needs of the region’s aquaculture producers.
  “This new investment endorses our confidence in Puebla, a State that has promoted the social and economic development, in which we have had the privilege of operate throughout 49 years,” said Gerardo Quintero, Managing Director of Cargill’s Feed & Nutrition business for Mexico and Central America.
  “Cargill will continue working hand to hand with authorities and producers, offering finance, risk management solutions, reliability in the purchase of crops and products, new international markets for the nation’s yields and products, as well as high quality and performance nutrition solutions, while collaborating in the selecting of the best products, with the support of our deep insight knowledge of the agribusiness markets,” said Marcelo Martins, president of Cargill Mexico. Cargill’s goal is to help the Mexican agribusiness sector thrive for the next 50 years, he said.

FAO: Aquaculture to grow faster than expected in next decade

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  freeimages.com/kasmadi

  
  

  From WATTAgNet:
  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has found in a study that aquaculture likely will grow more than expected in the next decade, improving nutrition for millions of people, especially in Asia and Africa.
  Increased investment in the aquaculture sector will help boost farmed-fish production by up to 4.14 percent per year through 2022, much greater than the 2.54 percent growth forecast this year in a joint report by FAO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
  Productivity-enhancing technologies including water use, breeding, hatchery practices and feedstuff innovation can help fish farmers in places like Asia and Africa keep up with demand. The report found that Africa should see growth of more than 5 percent per year, the fastest in the world.
  Aquaculture is a young industry compared with livestock farming and has grown from virtually nothing in 1950 and to a record production of 66.5 million tons in 2012, up almost 30-fold since 1970. About 50 percent of the $127 billion in global fish exports in 2011 came from developing countries, which receive more net revenue from the fish trade than from their exports of tea, rice, cocoa and coffee combined, the report said.
  Global per capita fish consumption increased from 9.9 kilograms in 1970 to 19.1 kilograms in 2012, although rates vary substantially by and within regions. Africa, Latin America and the Near East have consumption levels of around half the global rate, while Asia, Europe and North America all have rates of about 21 kilograms per capita.

Aquafeed market seeing steady growth, especially in China

The global aquafeed market is the fastest-growing segment of the agriculture and animal feed milling industry and is witnessing a steady growth, particularly in China. The aquafeed market has grown exponentially in the past decade, and this trend is expected to continue.
Factors such as increasing consumption of sea food and growth in the aquaculture industry are increasing the market for the aquafeed industry, globally. The Asia-Pacific region was the largest market for aquafeed accounting for more than 76 percent of the total consumption.
ReportsnReports.com’s new research report, “Aquafeed Market  by End Consumption (Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks, Others), by Additives (Antibiotics, Vitamins, Antioxidants, Amino Acids, Feed Enzymes, Feed Acidifiers, Others), by Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2019” says the Asia-Pacific region again took the major market share in terms of consumption with 76 percent of the total aquafeed market share in 2013. Increase in the domestic demand has contributed to the continuing growth trend particularly in this region.
Fish dominated the aquafeed market, by animal species, in 2013, with more than half of the market share. The global aquafeed market is projected to be valued at 89,479.0 MT by 2019 and $123,990.3 million by 2019 at CAGRs of 10.7 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively, from 2014 to 2019.
The aquafeed market includes feed for fish, crustaceans, mollusks and others. There has been a growing trend within most developing countries and many developed countries (such as Japan) toward the increased use of artificially compounded feeds (aqua feeds) for farmed finfish and crustaceans.
Aquafeed additives mainly comprise antibiotics, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, feed enzymes, feed acidifiers, and others. Amino acid is the major source of nutrients and constitutes the largest fish feed additive of animal species (fishes, crustaceans, and mollusks) diets, followed by antibiotics.
Aquafeed market companies profiled in this research include Alltech Inc., Aller Aqua A/S, Beneo - Animal Nutrition, Biomar A/S, Biomin GMBH, Cargill Incorporated, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, Coppens International B.V., Nutreco N.V. and Ridley Corporation.

WATT Global Media to present FIAAP Conferences beginning in 2015

Beginning in 2015 Feed International magazine, a WATT Global Media brand, will produce the FIAAP Feed Ingredients and Additives Conferences. These conferences focus on the rapidly-growing feed ingredient and additive industry and are co-located with VICTAM International and VICTAM Asia events, the world's largest international events for animal feed ingredients and processing technology, biomass pelleting systems, flour milling and grain processing. The FIAAP Conferences have been produced by Aquafeed.com since 2008.
The first FIAAP Conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand, and attracted more than 100 delegates from major animal feed companies throughout Asia Pacific and the world. The growth and popularity of the FIAAP Conferences since 2008—both in Bangkok, Thailand, and Cologne, Germany— are a testament to its success in providing a forum for information on advances in feed additives, ingredients and formulation solutions.
"The FIAAP Conference is a successful and established feature of the international animal feed industry. The time has come to enter the next stage of development and I am confident WATT Global Media is the company to take it forward,” said Suzi Dominy, proprietor and publisher of Aquafeed.com, LLC.  “With the company’s Feed International resources and market reach in the terrestrial animal feed industries, WATT Global Media is well positioned to exploit the groundwork we established and to fully develop the potential of the conference. It is in safe and capable hands.”
"Although we have animal feed and nutrition experience and expertise within the company, Aquafeed.com's strength is aquaculture feed: this is our passion and where we have leadership. This move away from a primarily animal feed meeting is In line with our strategy to focus exclusively on our publications, conferences and technical consulting in the aquafeed sector," Dominy said.
“Our entire team is excited for this new opportunity to utilize our industry expertise to educate animal feed professionals in a live event setting,” said Greg Watt, President/CEO of WATT Global Media. “We are looking forward to expanding our live event portfolio to include the FIAAP Conferences and better serving the innovation needs of the growing feed ingredients and additives segment of the industry.”
The 6th annual FIAAP International Conference will take place June 9, 2015, in Cologne, Germany, and will be co-located with VICTAM International together with the 8th Aquafeed Horizons Conference on June 9, 2015, and Petfood Forum Europe on June 10, 2015.
The 2015 VICTAM International event, the 50th Anniversary of the VICTAM Exhibition, will once again combine the FIAAP, VICTAM and GRAPAS exhibitions (and their respective conferences) under one roof at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, June 9-11, 2015.

BioMar, Sagun form joint venture fish feed company

The BioMar Group and the Sagun Group have formed a joint venture fish feed company in Turkey. The joint venture will establish a fish feed factory, which is expected to begin operations at the end of 2015. The factory will supply fish feed to Turkey and neighboring countries.
Turkey is the second-largest aquaculture nation in Europe after Norway. The growing market requires more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly diets and production methods.
“BioMar is well known for delivering high-performance fish feed with a sustainable profile, and it has an outstanding technical customer service,” said Ahmet Tuncay Sagun, president of the Sagun Group.

Global demand for aqua feed expected to reach $122.6B by 2019

According to a new report published by Transparency Market Research, the global demand for aqua feed was valued at $57.74 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach $122.60 billion in 2019, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4 percent from 2013 to 2019. In terms of volume, the demand was 35,000.0 kilo tons in 2012 and is expected to reach 72,207.8 kilo tons in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 10.9 percent from 2013 to 2019, according to the report, "Aqua Feed Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019."
Increasing aquaculture activity has been one of the major factors driving the demand for aqua feed over the past few years and the trend is expected to continue over the next few years. In addition, growing human consumption of fish owing to rising consumer awareness about health benefits is expected to fuel the demand for aqua feed over the next few years. However, fluctuating prices of key ingredients used in manufacturing fish feed such as fish meal and fish oil is expected to affect the growth of the market adversely. Growing demand for conventional and functional feed for fishes, particularly from Asia-Pacific is expected to provide new opportunities for the market growth in near future.
Asia-Pacific led the demand for aqua feed in 2012 and accounted for over 65 percent of the market share. Europe was the second largest market for aqua feed in 2012. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth over the next few years on account of rising aquaculture activities in this region. In addition, regional demand for fish for food and non-food use is expected to contribute to the growth of the market significantly over the next few years.

Elsevier, Novus collaborate for Aquaculture Conference 2013

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, and Novus International, the pioneering manufacturer of animal nutrition solutions products for livestock, poultry and aquaculture, announce their collaboration for the first Aquaculture Conference held 3-7 November 2013 in Gran Canaria.
Organized by Elsevier and supported by Novus International, the Aquaculture Conference will celebrate 40 years of outstanding research published in Elsevier's journal Aquaculture while also identifying the challenges that remain for the next generation of aquaculture researchers.
The collaboration between Novus International and Elsevier will bring together a range of content useful to aquaculture researchers and professionals. A newly launched microsite will provide an overview of Novus International's products, services and solutions, specific to the requirements of the aquaculture industry. In addition, the microsite will host an online version of the Aquaculture Conference, offering a permanent resource to researchers, developers and students in the field, and those who were unable to attend.
"Aquaculture is poised to become the leading process to provide sustainable food for mankind. However to achieve this, substantial progress in science is required, which can further serve as a platform for the industry, policy makers, environmentalists, consumers and all other stakeholders involved for meaningful and progressive dialogue. We are pleased to be part of this forum, a kindred spirit and we hope that all scientists present can challenge, contribute and benefit from the Novus-Elsevier collaboration," said Francisco Gomes, Ph.D., Executive Manager of Novus Aquaculture Business Unit.
"We are honored to work with Novus International to organize our first Aquaculture Conference. We consider the collaboration an important and instrumental one, one which will help all of us in the field to face the challenge of doubling our global aquaculture production in a sustainable manner," added Dr. Christiane Barranguet, Executive Publisher Water Management and Biological Resources at Elsevier.
Prior to the conference, a webinar will take place on October 24, 2013, free for all to attend. The webinar, "Delivery of practical, holistic aquaculture health and nutrition solutions", will introduce Novus International's research and development strategies focusing on the fundamental understanding of: aquatic animal nutrition, health, immunity balance, gut physiology and gut microflora; interactions with key pathogens and parasites; the practical applications in feedmill and farm production systems.
The webinar is aimed at R&D managers, nutritionists, veterinarians, technical managers, farm managers and consultants. It will bring together some of Novus International' top executives and R&D personnel and there will be an opportunity for participants to pose questions to the speakers.
Speakers during the webinar include:

• Craig Browdy, Executive Manager Aquaculture, Research Development at Novus International
• Ei Lin Ooi, R&D Manager, Novus International Aqua Research Center, Vietnam
• Dagoberto Sanchez, R&D Consultant at Novus International
• Qingyan Tao, China R&D Manager at Novus International
The webinar will be moderated by Christiane Barranguet; a recording of the event will then be made permanently accessible from the microsite.

Cargill purchases Thai shrimp feed manufacturer

Cargill's animal nutrition business announced that it is expanding its investment in the shrimp feed industry in Thailand by purchasing Siamakme Aquatic Feeds Co. Ltd., a shrimp feed manufacturer in Thailand. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Thailand is a major producer of fish and shrimp with strong growth potential, and we are delighted about this strategic acquisition because it strengthens our presence in Asia and provides a platform for further expansion in this important market," said Watcharapong Poomongkutchai, managing director of Cargill Feed and Nutrition Thailand.
"Siamakme's ambition has always been to manufacture the best shrimp feeds in Thailand," said Jeanny Hung, managing director of Siamakme. "We feel that under Cargill's ownership the business will be able to continue this legacy and tap into Cargill's global expertise to provide Thai shrimp producers with innovative solutions and high-quality products."
Effective immediately, Cargill assumes 100 percent ownership and operation of the Siamakme manufacturing facility which is located in Petchaburi, Thailand. The facility, which was built in 2001 and expanded in 2008, has a production capacity of 60,000 metric tons of shrimp feed per year.
"Siamakme has a strong reputation thanks to its dedicated employees and suppliers," said Poomongkutchai. "We are looking forward to working with our new colleagues to serve Siamakme's existing customers and expand the business to serve shrimp producers throughout Thailand."
The acquisition adds to Cargill's existing shrimp feed production capabilities in Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, India, Malaysia and Vietnam

De Heus launches phase two of Vietnam aqua feed factory

De Heus is opening the US$8 million expansion of its aqua feed factory in Vinh Long, Vietnam, which will increase the factory's capacity from 30,000 tons a year to 100,000 tons a year and help strengthen the company's position in the aqua feed market.
The upgrade will serve the growing aquaculture market in the Mekong Delta and produce feeds for pangasius, tilapia, snake head fish and fingerling, according to De Heus. "This enlargement of our aqua feed factory in Vinh Long shows our commitment for the aqua market in Vietnam in general and in the Mekong Delta in particular," said Gabor Fluit, general director of De Heus Vietnam. "We are committed to supplying our customers with high-quality feed and supporting them in further developing their business."
De Heus LLC now has four production locations in Vietnam, with animal feed factories in Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Hai Phong and the aqua feed factory in Vinh Long.

Aller Aqua Group Egypt to build new aquafeed mill

Danish fish feed producer Aller Aqua Group has confirmed that its Egyptian joint venture operation, Aller Aqua Egypt, will build a second feed mill in Egypt to expand its local production of fish feeds.
The new mill will triple the production capacity of the joint venture, which will become Egypt’s largest manufacturer of extruded fish feeds. It is being built on 6,000-square-meter plot of land adjacent to the first production plant.
Aller Aqua Egypt was formed in 2011 when the Denmark-based group bought a majority shareholding of an enterprise owned previously by an Egyptian family. Besides in Denmark and Egypt, Aller Aqua Group also has aquafeed manufacturing facilities in Poland and Germany.

Aquaculture feed producer sponsors IFFO responsible supply standard

Aquaculture feed producer EWOS is sponsoring an Improvers’ Program extension to the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation’s Global Standard for Responsible Supply.
The Improvers' Program will assist fishmeal and fish oil factories that fall short of compliance with the existing responsible supply standard for fish stock management and/or food safety and traceability in their factories. Program applicants must follow an approved, independently audited improvement plan, typically within a time frame of three to six years. Upon successful completion, the factories will then be eligible to apply for full IFFO responsible supply certification.
EWOS' sponsorship will assist with the cost of setting up the Improvers Program and identifying potential candidates.
“IFFO greatly appreciates EWOS’ support for this initiative and its commitment to our objective of increasing supplies of responsibly sourced marine ingredients. Sustainable supplies of aquaculture feed are essential for the responsible expansion of the industry," said IFFO director general, Jonathan Shepherd.

Auburn University offers online aquaculture education

Auburn University’s Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures developed an online, multilingual training and certification program for working industry professionals.
The program, Certification for Aquaculture Professionals, is a Web-based, educational curriculum that teaches the fundamentals of aquaculture and sustainable aquaculture production. The CAP program consists of 10 learning modules taught by aquaculture experts, many of whom are members of the Auburn fisheries department’s faculty. The 10 modules include a total of 136, approximately 30-minute-long segments with video recordings of trainers’ lectures, slides used for the lectures and lecture transcripts. Subjects covered in the certification program include: principles of aquaculture, water quality, physiology, hatchery management, genetics and breeding, aquatic animal nutrition, aquatic health, aquaculture production, aquaculture economics and extension methods. Each module ends with an exam, which students must get at least 70% on to proceed to the next module. The certification program can be completed in about six months, but is designed for people who are currently working, so the timeline may vary.
The CAP program is offered in English and Spanish, and soon will be available in Portuguese, French, Chinese and Arabic. Registration for the CAP program ranges from $4,000 to $6,000 depending on the number of certifications desired. For more information on Auburn’s CAP program, visit http://cap.auburn.edu/.