The aquaculture sector around the world continues to grow, and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is working to create further awareness of the use of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn fermented protein (CFP) in the feed being used.
Aqua feed production has grown to reach 54.52 million metric tons (MMT) globally, with Asia Pacific leading the way followed by others like Latin America, Europe and Africa.
Building on that momentum, the Council’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEA&O) and India offices came together to host a booth at the Seafood Expo Global 2024 last month in Barcelona, Spain, in addition to jointly organizing the Council’s second International Aquaculture Conference.
“Taking pressure off our oceans by delivering sustainable seafood products to market is a global challenge. The Council was uniquely positioned to bring together industry experts and participants from around the world to Barcelona to discuss how we best meet these demands,” said Caleb Wurth, USGC SEA&O regional director. “Collaborating with other USGC global offices to showcase DDGS as one solution in this journey helps move our industry forward.”
With more than 40 aquafeed producers and farmers in attendance, the Council’s conference provided participants with a global market outlook of tilapia, catfish, seabass, sea bream and shrimp. Additionally, attendees heard more about the opportunities for DDGS in the aqua sector and how sustainability plays a role in U.S.-origin DDGS.
“Using Section 108 funds, the Council invited a team of fish farmers and aquaculture professionals from Morocco to attend the expo and conference. The Council continues to support the growth of the aquaculture industry there while looking to expand opportunities for U.S. feed grain exports,” said Mohamed Salah Bouthour, USGC regional deputy director for Africa.
Attendees also learned about the results of recent feeding trials using CFP conducted at Adnan Menderes University in Turkey.
“Using the newly donated aquaculture training center funded by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, the Council benefited from the partnership with Adnan Menderes University. The partnership serves as a tool in demonstrating the benefits of using regular DDGS or CFP in different aqua diets (trout, seabass and seabream) through the feeding trials the Council is conducting with the Turkish university,” said Ana Ballesteros, USGC deputy regional director for Europe and Middle East. “Some of the results include exports of around 20,000 MT of containerized CFP for the aquaculture industry in Turkey in 2023.”
Moving forward, the Council will continue its engagement with the aqua industry worldwide. Upcoming EMEA region initiatives include supporting the aqua industry development in Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa by facilitating training sessions based on the experiences of countries in the region with more developed aqua sectors. Additionally, during Export Exchange in October, the EMEA regional office will host a team of aqua feed producers from several countries that will benefit from hearing about the latest technology applicable to aqua feed production.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.