Friday, October 30, 2020

the interview | Mr Hao Bo, Chairman, Zheng Chang


As one of the world’s leading providers of feed equipment, storage equipment and complete system solutions, Zheng Chang focusses on providing stable and reliable equipment, engineering and services for China’s feed industry, and has made a great contribution to the development of the world feed industry.
At the helm of the “century-old store”, Hao Bo, Chairman of Zheng Chang Group, has always adhered to the core concepts of focus, innovation, integrity and quality service to continuously enhance the influence of Zheng Chang in the international feed sector.


How did you come to be involved in this industry and work for Zheng Chang?
I worked in the Liyang Grain Machinery factory (the predecessor of Zheng Chang group) in 1972 and was recommended by the company to study in Zhenjiang Agricultural Machinery College (now renamed Jiangsu University) in 1977. After my graduation, I began to work as a basic workshop worker, and then stepped up to the post of workshop director, deputy factory director and factory director, step-by-step from being a technician.
After becoming the director of the factory, I realised that with the tide of China’s reform, the continuous improvement of the Chinese people’s living standards will definitely require strong developmental support from the feed industry. I firmly believe that, by focussing on the industry and on innovative products, the company can always continue to grow and develop.
We are constantly attaining new revolutionary breakthroughs in feed solutions and increasing the strength of our scientific research to drive the economy and develop new technologies. In two years, Zheng Chang have evolved to produce tailored solutions for many different sectors including feed processing, turnkey projects, farming and animal husbandry as well as feed, oil and fat chemical solutions.
Zheng Chang develop and manufacture high-efficiency aquatic shrimp feed and feed engineering equipment, livestock and poultry feed engineering equipment, complete premix production equipment and domestic advanced material silo production and drying equipment, which has solved the problem of the lack of equipment support for the development of the feed industry.
 

What do you think makes your company an industry leader in its field?
We always ensure to provide optimal value to customers, and this is the basis of our development. We help customers make good feed and adhere to the mission and culture of the company to help partners achieve long-term success. Quality feed engineering lays a solid foundation for customers to succeed in the market. We have always adhered to the principle of serving customers with integrity and responsibility.
Last year, a customer who had cooperated with us for 39 years thanked us and said, “In our 39 years of cooperation with Zheng Chang, the company has never failed us once, and provide quality equipment, engineering and services.”
We always insist on continuous product and process innovation. Our annual investment in R&D exceeds six percent of our total annual costs. Zheng Chang’s professional R&D team of nearly 100 people work hard to produce entire feed solutions that pioneer the way forward for the industry and, at the same time, we also carry out extensive industry cooperations. In 1998, we acquired the CPM granulator factory. In 2006, we collaborated with European Fuborg Sealing Technology and other core technologies to achieve the most complete, stable and reliable stand-alone equipment in the industry.
We have a professional global service team backed by sales teams all over the world. Zheng Chang can provide impressive delivery times and delivery quality for every customer.
 

What do you see as a possible challenge that the industry may face over the next five years and how will your company play a part in preventing or solving it?
In the future, the entire feed industry will develop in the direction of being a large-scale enterprise and there are few service providers that can provide large-scale professional projects and, at the same time, provide ample numbers of each product for truly streamlined management of the entire project. Not having ample numbers of machinery can result in high operating costs and weak market competitiveness, all of which have become bottlenecks and challenges for the entire industry.
Faced with such challenges, we always insist on being customer-oriented, actively carrying out research on cutting-edge technologies and products, and we always strive to make our technology and products top of the range and stay at the forefront of feed technology for 5-10 years. We have developed a series of large-scale high-end intelligent equipment which have been installed in many large feed mills and solved many problems, helping customers achieve extraordinary results.
At the same time, we also constantly upgrade our service systems to make the service of the entire company more professional and more refined. We can confidently state we have become an exceptionally loyal and reliable partner for our customers.
 

Do you think it is important to see more young people coming into the fold of businesses such as yours?
For sure! We recruit hundreds of outstanding young people from all over the world every year. We have recruited a lot of local people in our factory in Brazil. In the future, we will recruit more professional young people in Vietnam, India, and Europe. At the same time, we also welcome more young partners join us and develop together with us.
 

How do you think food and feed production companies can work together to help create a sustainable food future for the world?
I think our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of human life. In the entire industrial chain, from raw materials to food, we provide many services for feed enterprises and food enterprises, ranging from raw material storage to the provision of core equipment. As the source of industrial feed for various animals throughout the world, we understand that high-quality feed must also ensure to be sustainable, safe and healthy.
 

Has COVID-19 affected Zheng Chang in any way, in terms of running your business or working with customers?
As a global company, in the face of this epidemic, our international sales have been greatly affected. But we have also adjusted our operations in response to COVID-19. We did our best to ensure the construction progress of many projects does not need to grind to a halt, so things can continue to run smoothly.
In addition, we have strengthened our network services for domestic and foreign customers. At present, we provide our customers with professional services through various forms (network meetings, network training platforms etc) to help our customers get through the impact of the epidemic.

 

 

 

International Aquafeed November 2020 is a available now!


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Thursday, October 29, 2020

Speakers announced for the 5th Annual Aqua Feed Extrusion LIVE Online Conference

The 5th Annual Aqua Feed Extrusion Conference co-organized by VIV, International Aquafeed and Fish Farming Technology magazine and Dr Mian Riaz of Texas A&M University is once again taking place on March 10-11, 2021. The conference will be hosted as a LIVE online event over the course of two days.

This rendition of the conference will specialise in extrusion and the related equipment for aquatic feeds. The two-day conference will feature a variety of industry expert speakers delivering innovative presentations on how users can make the best use of their extrusion machinery and aqua feed systems.
 


The following high-profile speakers have recently been announced:

Dr Mian Riaz, Texas A&M University, USA        
How to Select an Extruder?

Corporate Project Services, USA
Guide to Modern Aquatic Plant Design

Andritz, Denmark
New Twin Screw Extruder

Reynold Engineering, USA
Pulverising of Raw Material

Wenger Manufacturing, USA
Evolution of Extrusion Technology

Clextral, France
Twinscrew Extrusion: The Right Technology for Today's and Tomorrow's Quality Aquafeed

Jefo Nutrition Inc, Canada
What, When, Where, Why and How: A Proposition for Enzymes in Extruded Feed

There are few speaking slots still available. Interested companies can email to Dr Mian Riaz (mnriaz@tamu.edu) regarding the opportunity to speak at this conference. For sponsorship opportunities, companies can email Tuti Tan (tutit@perendale.co.uk).


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Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Alltech launches global survey on gender equality within the food and agriculture industry

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity and drives innovation. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but it is also essential to advancing society and the global agri-food industry.

To gather real-world insights into the professional landscape for women in agriculture, Alltech has announced their support of the second annual Women in Food & Ag survey.
 
Image credit: Alltech

Launching on 27 October, the survey aims to collect feedback that empowers the agri-food industry to create a more equitable environment.

The 2019 Women in Food & Ag survey results revealed specific barriers for women in agriculture and a gap between female and male perceptions but reflected an optimistic outlook overall.

As 2020 ushered in unprecedented challenges for agriculture, new questions have been added to the survey to gauge potential inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19. To further globalise this effort and increase accessibility, the survey is available in six languages.

This initiative reflects Alltech's commitment to the U.N. Global Compact and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to gender equality. The SDG recognises gender equality as a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

'In order to achieve a Planet of PlentyTM, it is more important than ever for the agri-food industry to perform at its full potential,' said Dr Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. 'Human ingenuity is our Earth's most valuable resource, and a diverse workforce is essential to building a more sustainable future.'

Women and men in all sectors of the food supply chain are encouraged to contribute to this important global conversation about gender equality in agriculture by taking the survey here.

The survey results will be published on 26 January 2021 on the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience website.

Visit the Alltech website, HERE.


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Kemin Industries announce new Regional Sales Director

Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world, has named Matt Henry as the business unit's Regional Sales Director for Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Korea.

Mr Henry previously served as Country President - Australia and New Zealand for Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – Asia Pacific.
 
Matt Henry, Regional Sales Director Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Korea
Image credit: Kemin Industries



Mr Henry has served in his prior position for the past 10 years, overseeing Kemin's animal nutrition and health business in Australia and New Zealand.

During the last decade, Mr Henry tripled sales in Australia, and in 2018, he was the top salesperson for the business unit. Last year, he held the highest sales record and was the winner of the Chairman's Retreat for 2018 – 2019, the highest recognition offered to a salesperson at Kemin.

'I am looking forward to taking on this new role at Kemin and expanding my focus to new areas,' said Mr Henry. 'I have thoroughly enjoyed building and growing Kemin's business in Australia and New Zealand over the past 10 years, and I am excited to translate our successes there to other countries in which we operate. I am eager to continue introducing new customers and established partners to the many products and solutions we offer for their animal nutrition and health needs.'

Before joining Kemin, Mr Henry served as General Manager of Merchandise for GrainCorp.

Mr Henry will relocate from his native Australia to Singapore, where Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – Asia Pacific is headquartered.

Visit the Kemin Industries website, HERE.


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Thursday, October 22, 2020

5th Annual Aqua Feed Extrusion LIVE Online Conference will take place on March 10-11, 2021

The 5th Annual Aqua Feed Extrusion Conference co-organized by VIV, International Aquafeed and Fish Farming Technology magazine and Dr Mian Riaz of Texas A&M University is once again taking place on 10-11 March, 2021. The conference will be hosted as a LIVE online event over the course of two days.
 



This rendition of the conference will specialise in extrusion and the related equipment for aquatic feeds. The two-day conference will feature a variety of industry expert speakers delivering innovative presentations on how users can make the best use of their extrusion machinery and aqua feed systems.
 


There are few speaking slots still available. Interested companies can email to Dr Mian Riaz (mnriaz@tamu.edu) regarding the opportunity to speak at this conference. For sponsorship opportunities, companies can email Tuti Tan (tutit@perendale.co.uk).


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Expert topic: Atlantic salmon

by Rebecca Sherratt, Features Editor, International Aquafeed

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a species of fish synonymous with the aquaculture industry. Farmed throughout the world, the salmon industry only continues to expand year-on-year as the demand for sustainable protein grows. Salmon can be found across much of Europe, North America, Canada and Australia and are most widely farmed in Norway and Chile.

The species can be distinguished by its large mouth and silvery colour, which may contain distinct spots of green, brown or blue. Males and females can be easily distinguished, as male salmon develop a distinct kype (a hook on the lower jaw which can be displayed as a form of dominance).
 


Salmon farming first began in the UK in the 1800s, before being further popularised in Norway in the 1960s through sea cage farming, which was proven to increase salmon to a marketable size and ensure increased profitability. Following these developments, farmers soon began to establish salmon farming facilities in Canada, Northern America, Scotland, Australia and Chile.

The rapid increase in salmon farming has led to decreased prices, as production continues to outpace demand. Despite this, a shift is being exhibited towards a rising demand for sustainable protein, which can be readily provided by salmon. As salmon has proven challenging to sell at or above cost of production, many countries have implemented quality checks.

In 1990, 225,642 tonnes (t) of salmon were produced globally, which has seen a significant increase year-on-year. In 2015, 2,381,579t of salmon were produced, 90 percent of which is specifically Atlantic salmon. The primary market for Atlantic salmon imports is Europe, North America and Japan.

Read more, HERE.

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Zheng Chang company profile



Zhengchang
, established in 1918, has made constant innovations in feed machinery industry and accumulated a wealth of experience in tackling the various challenges facing feed companies and, more importantly, is able to offer a range of comprehensive solutions.

Zhengchang has now evolved into China’s largest manufacture of feed machinery and has 16 branches in China with over 1300 staff and more than thirty offices all over the world. 

Zhengchang to date has successfully constructed more than 2000 turnkey projects world around the world, covering fields of poultry and livestock feed, aquatic feed, pet feed, premix feed, sawdust pellet, fertiliser, silo storage, pasture, electrical control and garbage treatment, etc.

Zhengchang projects are designed to deliver to the client higher feed quality, higher overall capacity and more profits. 
Zhengchang have conquered challenges one after another for the customers and accumulated rich experience over the past 90 years.

They are now making great endeavors to apply their latest achievements to feed, pasture, environment protection, fertilizer, sawdust shaping industries.


Zhengchang is more than a professional partner who can provide advanced machinery, technology and management ideas.

It is also a true problem solver who knows you well during your development. Zhengchang is with you every step of the way.


Visit the website HERE.


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AFIA presents Bill Braman with Distinguished Service Award

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) honoured William (Bill) Braman, Ph.D., PAS, formerly of Chr. Hansen Animal Health and Nutrition, with its 2020 Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the feed industry.

Sarah Novak, AFIA's vice president of membership and public relations, presented the award to Dr Braman at the AFIA's fall virtual Board of Directors meeting.
 
Bill Braman accepted the AFIA's 2020 Distinguished Service Award
Image credit: AFIA
Dr Braman accepted the AFIA's 2020 Distinguished Service Award at the AFIA Board of Directors meeting this week.

The Distinguished Service Award is AFIA's highest honour and is typically given to the elite members of the U.S. animal food industry who have provided outstanding support to the AFIA and the entire animal food industry throughout their careers.

'Anyone who has worked with Bill knows how much the animal feed industry means to him – he truly put his heart and soul into everything he did to support the industry,' said Ms Novak. 'Bill's many contributions to the feed industry, the AFIA and IFEEDER make him an exceptional choice for this honour.'

Dr Braman has been very involved in the AFIA and the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), the latter of which he served as a pioneer trustee and remained on the Board until 2015.

During Dr Braman's tenure with IFEEDER, he also served on the budget task force and research committee and played an active role for several years in the silent auction held at the AFIA's Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conferences.

Dr Braman served on the AFIA Board of Directors from 2011-14, AFIA's Nutrition Committee for more than a decade, including serving in the officer rotation, and AFIA's Liquid Feed Committee for five years. He has embraced every project with enthusiasm and a can-do attitude.

Dr Braman has also been very active in several industry groups, including holding memberships in the American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Science, Poultry Science Association and American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).

From 2009-11, Dr Braman served as the president-elect and president at ARPAS and from 2006-09, he served as the director for the Midwest ARPAS.

Raised on a dairy and crop farm in Indiana, Dr Braman graduated with honours from Purdue University in 1969 with a bachelor's in agricultural education and then received his master's and Ph.D. in animal nutrition from the University of Illinois. While at Purdue, he joined the FarmHouse fraternity and became a member of Alpha Zeta, Block and Bridle and the Purdue choir.


Visit the AFIA website, HERE.


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Wednesday, October 21, 2020

XpertSea launch smartphone photo app for shrimp farmers

With a leap forward in AI and computer vision, XpertSea lets shrimp farmers measure, track and manage their animals with nothing more than a smartphone

XpertSea, a Canadian technology company, today announced a leap forward in AI that lets shrimp farmers use their smartphone to capture accurate animal data and track growth from stocking through harvest.

XpertSea new smartphone app for shrimp farmers
Image credit: XpertSea

The app builds on the success of the XperCount, a connected 'smart bucket' that lets farmers count, size, weigh and image animal samples in seconds. After months of research and in-field testing, XpertSea engineers reduced these 11 lbs. (5 kg.) of hardware to a feature-enhanced app that runs on a shrimp farmer's Android or iPhone.

"Too many shrimp farmers operate without the benefit of accurate, standardized data, and this hinders their operations and hurts their bottom line,' said Valerie Robitaille, CEO and co-founder of XpertSea. 'We wanted to create an easily accessible, ultra-portable tool that would make data collection fast, easy and reliable so that any farmer can unlock better crops and financial outcomes. With our mobile app, farmers of any size and means can use their phone to monitor pond growth and make better decisions, which improves profitability and sustainability.'

With the app and a picture of their shrimp, farmers gain instant, easy access to transparent and reliable information such as average body weight, growth rate and weight distribution. This enables them to adjust feeding regimes, identify anomalies in animal growth, and make better decisions on how to grow their crops and transact business.
 


'XpertSea's innovative smartphone app saves a huge amount of time and generates very accurate sampling data. This enables precise measurements of the size and frequency distribution of the population to be made more often," said Dr Craig Browdy, Director of Research & Development at Zeigler Bros., a provider of premium feeds that has been collaborating with XpertSea on the development of the app.

'The app provides a combination of powerful growth and feeding models driven by AI, and the ability to share and exchange information from pondside to management and expertise anywhere in the world in real time. This is a powerful tool for improving day to day decision-making yielding faster growth, more efficient feed conversion and better water quality,' said Dr Browdy.

'Using the app to measure shrimp growth is very useful,' said Mr Nguyen Van Teo, a manager of a high-tech farm in the Bac-Lieu cooperative in Vietnam. 'The number of samples taken is higher, faster and more accurate than conventional manual shrimp sampling. Shrimp are healthy when sampled, free from injury and the data is stored and managed on a real-time online database.'

The app is currently available on the Google Play and Apple Store for all farmers in Ecuador and for farmers working with XpertSea's enterprise partners across the world.

Visit the XpertSea website, HERE.

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Dr Keith Behnke receives Lifetime Achievement Award from AFIA

The American Feed Industry Association honoured Keith Behnke, Ph.D., with the AFIA-Kansas State University Feed Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement Award today for his lifelong contributions to the feed industry through business and education.

Gary Huddleston, AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, presented the award to Dr Behnke at AFIA's fall virtual Board of Directors meeting.
 

Keith Behnke
Image credit: AFIA
The award recognises and honours U.S. animal food industry retirees, or those who are no longer serving the industry or allied industries, who have made a significant contribution to the animal food manufacturing business in the U.S. throughout their careers.

Individuals are nominated in the areas of business, science and technology. The AFIA and KSU first presented the award in 1995 and only 20 individuals have received the award to date.

'Dr Behnke has spent over 40 years working in the feed and grain industry, making him more than deserving of this award,' said Mr Huddleston. 'I first met Dr Behnke in 1988 when I attended a feed short course at Kansas State University. I've always respected Dr Behnke as a great educator of future industry professionals. He has been a great representative of our industry over his career.

Dr Behnke began his career in the industry working as a processing research coordinator at Far Mar Co. in Hutchinson, Kansas. He returned to his alma mater Kansas State University and assumed teaching and research duties in August 1977.

Dr Behnke taught courses that addressed basic and advanced feed manufacturing science and ingredient quality. During his career at KSU, Dr Behnke advised over 150 undergraduates, 18 doctorate and more than 20 masters students in feed science.

Dr Behnke has published many scientific and popular press articles, presented papers at more than 120 conferences and symposia both domestic and abroad, and has visited nearly 50 foreign countries in his capacity as a consultant and member of the department's International Grains Program.

Dr Behnke retired from the university in July 2010 but has continued to serve on the feed science advisory team, helping to design and construct a new campus feed mill for the Department of Grain Science and Industry.

Dr Behnke is a native Kansan and graduated from KSU with a bachelor's in feed technology in 1968. Following three years of military service, he returned to KSU to earn a master's in feed science and a doctorate in grain science.

Visit the AFIA website, HERE.


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Where prawns are king: How plastic filter media helps an innovative seafood farming enterprise

by Junaid Hassan, Warden Biomedia, UK

If you think that prawns belong in a 1970s cocktail, think again. King prawns have moved up-market and demand is insatiable. Currently, the UK consumes around 40,000 tonnes-per-annum and Europe about ten times that. Unfortunately, most have travelled, frozen, 6,000 miles from the Far East and Central America, leaving a massive carbon footprint.

But, in 2015, Dougie Allen and James McEuen set out to change that when they founded Great British Prawns. Both men have a background in the army and attended Cranfield University.
 


“We saw an opportunity in the expanding prawn market”, says Dougie, “and we wanted to find a better way of farming shellfish. Specifically, we wanted to increase production intelligently and responsibly with a focus on production efficiency gains while ruthlessly focusing on animal welfare.”

A stable economy
Appropriately, for farmer’s son Dougie, their first experiments in prawn breeding were undertaken in a converted stable on a farm in Fife, Scotland. Inspired by their success, they were joined by Technical Director Dr Andrew Whiston, a hands-on marine biologist with twenty-five years’ experience in the design, construction and operation of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).

In the summer of 2019, with Andrew acting as Project Manager, the company opened its first sustainable king prawn farm in the Scottish village of Balfron, Stirlingshire. Now it supplies fresh prawns to hotels and restaurants within a two-hour drive of the farm.

"We know that consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of seafood production and to be sustainable”, said James. “COVID-19 has focused a lot of customers on air freight, or lack of it and they are much more appreciative of the home-grown product, so the future of aquaculture really has to be land-based".

Read more, HERE.

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PCE company profile






Pelleting Consumables Europe (PCE) is a global supplier of tailor-made, high-grade precision ring dies and roller shells. 
 


Thanks to years of experience in the pelleting industry they can provide their customers expert advice on the geometry and design of Ring Dies and Roller Shells.

Manufacturing reliable ring dies and roller shells for compound feed, biofuel and recycling industries and a wide range of other applications.

Their tailor-made Ring Dies and Roller shells are available for pellet presses of all brands and are manufactured at their ultra-modern manufacturing facility.

As the entire process takes place In-house, they can guarantee short lead times and optimum quality.

PCE ring dies and roller shells are made of high-quality steel. The Ring Dies are manufactured as standard from high-grade, high chrome steel X46Cr13, tempered to 53-55 HRC.

The associated Roller Shells are manufactured from 100Cr6 or 20MnCr5, depending on specific application.

According to the PCE website, “our company is continuously focussed on improving the life cycle of our products and to increase profits for our customers.”

PCE key features: 
- Longer life cycle
- Higher capacity
- Low power consumption

In addition to their products they also assist with the planning of your spare and wear part inventory.

A team of experts is available to guide you by selecting the right ring dies, roller shells and to set up a service level spare part management program.

PCE is your partner for just perfect ring dies and roller shells.

Visit the PCE website, HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Evoy electric fish farming boat

Evoy is on a mission to reduce marine emissions by delivering 100 percent electric motor systems for new and existing power boats.

Their electric propulsion system is retrofit compatible and can travel at up to 50 knots, an 800 horsepower engine. The Evoy electric engine makes no noise, releases no fumes and is easy to use with fast charging and no maintenance needed.
 


The Evoy is an incredibly smart solution. The large touchscreen boasts a variety of features, including a ‘Take me home’ feature, cloud-based updates and comes with its own unique Evoy app for your smartphone, to make the most out of your marine travels.

Read more, HERE.

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FishFarmFeeder company profile




FishFarmFeeder is a company founded in 2008 that only manufactures aquaculture feeding systems with a complete catalogue of solutions.


Feeders can be customised for each fish farm and species: 

- Centralised Feeders
- Hatchery Feeders
- Feed Barges
- Cannon Feeders 

FishFarmFeeder can customise their feeders adapting the performance to each fish farmer.


Visit FishFarmFeeder website, HERE.

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Monday, October 19, 2020

Nuffield Farming Scholarship to support study of Sustainability of Scottish salmon feed ingredients

The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust (NFST) has announced the appointment of 2021 Nuffield Farming Scholars, one of whom works in the aquaculture sector.

Aisla Jones, based in Manchester UK, works as the Fish Sustainability Manager within the Agricultural team at the Co-op. In this role Ms Jones is responsible for overseeing the sourcing of all seafood across the retailer, including developing a seafood policy which address the environmental, welfare, and human rights challenges in both wild and farmed seafood sourcing. She is keen to investigate the opportunities for improving the sustainability of feed ingredients within the diets of Scottish Salmon and to understand the role that retailers can play in this.
 
Aisla Jones
Image credit: Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust
The group of 20 Scholars, who come from across UK farming and rural industries, will seek guidance from industry leaders, experts and pioneers as they undertake their studies.

'Following an unprecedented and challenging year for UK agriculture, we are pleased to announce our 2021 Scholars,' said Mike Vacher, Nuffield Farming Director. 'They have been carefully selected for both their passion for their chosen topic, and for their potential as future leaders within UK agriculture.

'Our 2021 scholars have selected a range of topics that span the breadth of the industry, including livestock, soft fruits, aquaculture and workforce diversity. A Nuffield scholarship is a life changing experience, and will no doubt prove invaluable to both Scholar businesses and to the industry as a whole,' Mr Vacher continued. 'On behalf of Nuffield Farming, I wish the 2021 Scholars the very best of luck as they prepare to start their studies. We are excited to hear more about the knowledge and experiences you gain over the course of your journeys. In these ever-changing times, what you bring back with you will play a vital role in driving UK agriculture forward.'

Visit the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust website, HERE.


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Winter disease in gilthead seabream: Aquanéo's approaches for prevention and disease management

by Jean Peignon, Aquaculture Nutritionist, Aquanéo, France

Gilthead seabream: A mythical Mediterranean fish
Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) or ‘The golden javelin’ in Latin, is an emblematic fish from the Mediterranean Sea. Renowned for its delicate mild, white meat, gilthead seabream is present “in portion” on the plates of every Mediterranean seafood restaurant. Its consumption is very old in the area, as attested by the mosaics from Ancient Rome, showing detailed pictures of gilthead seabream or archaeological evidence of dried seabream trade 3,500 years ago from Bardawil lagoon in Egypt to the Middle East (Sisma-Ventura Guy et al, 2018.)
 
Traditionally, gilthead seabream was raised in extensive coastal lagoons, called “vallicoltura” in Italy or “hosha” in Egypt, in which the humans exploit their seasonal migrations from the sea into the lagoons by preventing any travel back to the sea. Thanks to its powerful jaws and teeth, the species is well adapted to extensive aquaculture as it is able to feed on various trophic niches, from soft prey like polychaetes or fishes to protected crustaceans or molluscs and even benthic plants (Chaoui et al. 2005).

In nature, young fish join the low water lagoons in spring, where the natural production and temperatures are high, and return in winter to the calm deep waters to reproduce. Nowadays, gilthead seabream is one of the two main species cultivated in Mediterranean, along with European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). In 2017 the aquaculture production in Mediterranean, based on sea cages, reached around 110,000 million tonnes (mt)

Cold temperatures: The gilthead seabream’s Achilles’ heel
Mediterranean farmers know it: compared to the European seabass, gilthead seabream is more sensitive to temperature drops. In nature, this sensitivity can be tackled by migratory behaviour. When temperatures drop, gilthead seabream leave their coastal areas to move to warmer and more stable deep waters, where they reproduce. Spawning occurs between December to January and juveniles join the coastal area to feed on more productive biotopes. Gilthead seabream is a protandrous hermaphrodite, meaning that they are functionally male in the first two years of their life before switching to females. Sex reversal occurs in around the second or third years and impacts the migratory behaviour: with age they tend to stay in deeper water.

Aquaculture in sea cages makes migration impossible and, therefore, gilthead seabream are facing challenging conditions during winter time as surface water parameters fluctuate with the weather conditions: temperature drop and unstable salinity generates a metabolic disruption characterised by an array of symptoms called the ‘winter disease’ or ‘winter syndrome’.

Read more, HERE.

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Leiber company profile

Now with more than 140 employees, with each one a specialist in his or her domain, Leiber has a well-proven team in a company following a clear strategy for more than 50 years: working with values.

“What makes us unique? We focus on what we know best. Yeast. Production on the highest level of quality. Latest technology. New findings from science and research. The performance of a team of specialists. 

This is what defines Leiber´s strategic orientation. This is what makes us truly entrepreneurial”, as explained on the Leiber website.

“The markets´ requirements are changing - we are able to follow. This is how we became one of the leading manufacturers of specialised yeast products”.

Visit the website HERE.






















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Sunday, October 18, 2020

Performance of Atlantic salmon fed NexPro®: A novel next generation protein ingredient derived from dry-mill bio-ethanol production

by Professor Simon J Davies FRSB, Editor, International Aquafeed, UK, Derek Balk and Melissa Jolly-Breithaupt, FHR Biofuels & Ingredients Nutrition Specialists, Flint Hill Resources LLC, USA

The quest for alternative proteins in aquaculture is of increasing importance, primarily due to the rapid expansion of the industry and the constraint being imposed on marine ingredients like fishmeal and terrestrial plant ingredients such as soybean meal, due to concern as to their long-term sustainability. The rearing of high value fish species places demands on feed formulations that are high in protein to meet the stringent nutritional requirements of these fish. Salmon are of particular importance, considering the iconic image they portray in fish farming.

Total global production of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is estimated to have increased by some seven percent in 2019, to around 2.6 million tonnes. This marks the third consecutive year of strong supply growth, following an increase of around five percent in 2018. The three major contributors to this expansion were Norway, Chile and Scotland.
  


It is estimated that the global salmon industry is worth in excess of EU €13 billion (US $14.7 billion) and is highly dependent on a large investment and supportive infrastructure that includes a well-established feed manufacturing platform. In this respect, it is critical we examine the utilisation of novel feed ingredients for a sustainable industry to meet consumer demands and reliable production figures. The range of options is large and one such area of active interest is the potential of distillers’ dried grain enhanced protein by-products, resulting from the bio-ethanol industries.

Previously, there has been much interest in the more traditional sources of distillers’ dried grains with and without solubles as feed stock for a wide range of production animals, including fish to some extent, depending on species. DDGS from potable alcohol fermentation (i.e. beer and whisky distillation) was utilised mainly in rations and the issue of high fibre content placed limitations on their use for monogastric animals, with most of the by-products being directed towards ruminant feeds in concentrate fractions of the diet. Some applications in aquafeed for tilapia and carp (Omar, 2009) proved quite successful and were efficiently digested by these omnivorous fish species, compared to dietary constraints in carnivorous fish such as trout and salmon. 

Read more, HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Fibras Industriales SA company profile




Fibras Industriales SA (FISA) has more than 70 years’ experience in the production and commercialisation of nets for the fishing and aquaculture sectors, with great participation in the areas of agriculture, sports, mining, construction, among others.


Innovation and quality
The constant research and innovation in their production processes allow them to offer products of the highest quality standards and services tailored to the needs of their clients globally.

Wide range of products
FISA have a complete range of products. They can offer all types of nets existing and used in the world, cages for farms, sports, among others and the widest variety of ropes, twine and floats.

The main markets they work in are:
- Fishing of all species
- Farming centre for all species
- Sports (Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Lacrosse, among others)
- Construction and Mining Safety
- Farming

Visit the FISA website, HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Friday, October 16, 2020

BioMar appoints Simon Wadsworth as Global Director of R&D

BioMar has announced that from 1 November, 2020, Simon Wadsworth will take over the position as Global R&D Director, heading the global R&D organisation in BioMar Group.

'I am truly happy that Simon Wadsworth has decided to join us to contribute to our commitment to the aquaculture industry. He has a very experienced R&D profile and an excellent track record within R&D management, product innovation and collaboration with customers and the business. He has a highly acknowledged profile in the aquaculture industry, and we are very much looking forward to having him on board,' said Carlos Diaz, CEO BioMar Group.
 
Simon Wadsworth
Image credit: BioMar
Mr Wadsworth has for more than 30 years been an important contributor to the aquaculture industry within feed and farming operations at Marine Harvest, Cermaq and EWOS-Cargill. He has solid international experience and a strong network in the industry.

At the same time, he has been an important contributor to product innovations creating landmarks within nutrition and health. His is coming from a position as Global R&D Manager in Cargill, leading the aqua R&D program.


Visit the BioMar website, HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Aquaculture America 2021 postponed to August

The World Aquaculture Society (WAS) have made the difficult decision to postpone Aquaculture America 2021 to 11-14 August, 2021 at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The event was originally scheduled to take place in February 2021.

WAS Organisers commented, 'After considerable discussion whether to continue as planned or postpone the event, we did not feel that by February 2021 individuals, institutions and organizations would be able to approve travel or feel comfortable sending attendees to an in-person event.  By securing the postponed dates of August 11-14, 2021, we are optimistic that an in-person event is much more likely to be successful for our attendees and exhibitors.'
 


The organisers are working hard to provide a safe, but similar experience to that attendees are familiar with when attending an Aquaculture America event and will continue to take every step necessary to achieve that goal.

Important dates and deadlines
Conference Dates - 11-14 August, 2021
Exhibition Dates - 11-14 August, 2021
Abstract Deadline - 2 April, 2021
Early Registration Deadline - 14 May, 2021
2nd Registration Deadline - 16 July, 2021

For complete conference details visit the WAS website, HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Thursday, October 15, 2020

To fully comprehend global aquaculture production the significance of seaweeds, and the role of extractive species, should not be sidelined

by Dr Thierry Chopin

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) recently published The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, its biennial document, which contains a wealth of information on both fisheries and aquaculture throughout the world.

 
While FAO should be commended for giving more and more attention to seaweed aquaculture production, it continues to treat the seaweed aquaculture sector as a different category, with separate tables and separate comments in different sections. This could lead to a distorted view of what really constitutes the total world aquaculture.

For that reason, we thought to revisit the statistical information provided by FAO, by integrating data regarding the seaweed aquaculture sector together with the data of the other sectors of the world aquaculture production (mostly fish, molluscs and crustaceans), to demonstrate how a combined analysis can modify the conclusions reached.

Distribution between world fisheries and aquaculture production
In its Table 1, FAO reported total capture fisheries landings as 96.4 million tonnes (expressed on a “live weight” basis, as all other numbers here after) and total aquaculture production as 82.1 million tonnes, in 2018. However, a footnote at the bottom of the table states that this table “excludes aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans, seaweeds and other aquatic plants”. Clearly, this footnote can easily be overlooked by readers, and, consequently, the conclusion that can be reached is that capture fisheries represent 54.0 percent and aquaculture represents 46.0 percent of the total world fisheries landings and aquaculture production (178.5 million tonnes).

If the worldwide production of aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans is relatively small and poorly documented in data, that of seaweeds is significantly large and should not be ignored (32.4 million tonnes, valued at US $13.3 billion). In marked contrast, the harvesting of wild seaweeds represented only 2.9 percent of the total global reported seaweed production or 0.9 million tonnes in 2018. Consequently, including these data, capture fisheries (97.3 million tonnes) represent 45.9 percent, and aquaculture (114.5 million tonnes) now represents 54.1 percent of the total world fisheries landings and aquaculture production (211.8 million tonnes) in 2018.

Consequently, the “farming more than catch” milestone was definitely reached by 2018, if the seaweed sector were to be considered in the total statistics. Seaweeds were the first group of organisms to reach the “farming more than catch” milestone in 1971. Since then, farmed freshwater fish production reached this milestone in 1986, farmed mollusc production in 1994, farmed diadromous fish production in 1997 and farmed crustacean production in 2010. However, according to the FAO, the production of farmed marine fish is not expected to overtake marine capture production in the near future.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

Wenger company profile




From small-town entrepreneur to worldwide leader. With a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, brothers Joe and Louis Wenger founded Wenger Mixing Company in a small Kansas (USA) town in 1935. They went on to design a machine that blended molasses with dry feedstuffs and produced pellets in 1948.


Theirs was the first extrusion cooking system and the basic technology for all commercial extruders used today.  The Wenger brothers' novel idea created a worldwide industry. And, seventy-five years later, Wenger Manufacturing, Inc. is still a family-owned business committed to groundbreaking innovation in the extrusion market.


Visit the website HERE.


The Aquaculturists

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Blue Aqua International and Stemcell United join together on Seagrape Project

Blue Aqua International has signed a joint venture agreement with Stemcell United Limited to cultivate and farm sea grapes (Caulerpa Lentillifera) in Singapore on a commercial scale via the jointly incorporated company, SCU Green Aqua Farm Pte Ltd.

Stemcell United Limited is an Australian mainboard-listed biotechnology and pharmaceutical company which focuses on the development, reproduction, culture and extraction of plant stem cells for TCM medicinal, health, beauty and anti-aging applications through its environmentally friendly patented technology.
 
Sea grapes
Image credit: Blue Aqua International


SCU has successfully trialled the application of plant stem cell technology on Sea Grape cultivation at its research base located in the Marine Aquaculture Centre on St John Island, Singapore.

SCU is now moving towards commercial cultivation through the creation of the joint venture with Blue Aqua. The joint venture combines the strengths of both parties in creating an integrated aquaculture farming system.

The collaboration aims to implement part of a scalable circular economy in aquaculture, with plans to promote the ocean vegetable's unique qualities as a sustainable superfood and plant-based protein.

On the joint venture with Blue Aqua, Mr Philip Gu, SCU CEO/executive chairman commented, 'Since 2009, Blue Aqua has been supporting the aquaculture industry with sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies, and is seeking to ensure sustainable food resources are available for future generation. SCU is honoured to be able to partner with Blue Aqua in making Sea Grapes available to the growing population on a commercial scale, and with the strong belief that Sea Grapes will become part of a recognised balanced diet mix. This partnership will further progress our efforts to make a substantial contribution to the Singapore Government's '30 by 30' initiative, which aims to increase Singapore's local food production from its current level of 10 percent to 30 percent by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional urgency to Singapore's food security concerns, which makes this joint venture even more compelling.'

Dr Farshad Shishehchian, Founder, Group President and CEO of Blue Aqua International commented, 'SCU is an established technology company in the plant-based stem-cell business, having experience in traditional Chinese herbs and in Hemp. Mr Philip Gu has been a consultant to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), specialising in aquaculture. The synergy with SCU is palpable. Passion and a strong technological partnership is a good recipe for sustainable growth. The joint incorporation of SCU Green Aqua Farm embodies our continual efforts to build a circular economy in aquaculture, starting with our own production systems towards the development of sustainable nutrition globally.'


Visit the Blue Aqua International website, HERE.


The Aquaculturists