Council Promotes DDGS, CFP Use With Latin American Aquaculture Nutritionists

In November, the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) Latin America office hosted a team of aquaculture nutritionists from Ecuador and Panama in the U.S. as a means of promoting sustainable practices for distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn fermented proteins (CFP) within the aquaculture space.

The team first attended the 2024 Distillers Grains Symposium in St. Louis, Missouri, before visiting DDGS and CFP processing facilities in Illinois.

“DDGS exports to Latin America have grown steadily over the past five years. Co-products like CGM, CGFP and CFP are being used in more formulations. There is a significant opportunity to capitalize on this new demand by increasing potential buyers’ knowledge of these products and their uses,” said Angelica Rios, USGC marketing specialist for Latin America.

In Latin America, feed production for the aquaculture sector grew by nearly five percent in 2023 over the previous year, compared to a global growth rate of three percent. Ecuador is the world’s leading producer of shrimp feed and represents the largest market potential for the use of DDGS and new co-products like CFP in aquaculture diets. Panama is a producer of feed for both shrimp and tilapia, making it a promising market for the consumption of these co-products.

The Distillers Grains Symposium provided the team with the latest information and insights into the marketing and merchandising of DDGS in animal nutrition, reviewed processing technologies and highlighted governmental regulations surrounding the commodity. Additionally, sustainability was discussed in detail, and studies were presented that have been conducted on the inclusion of distillers grains and co-products in the diets of different species. After the symposium, the team visited ethanol processing facilities to better understand the origins and different uses of corn co-products, including DDGS and CFP, and to deepen their knowledge of the potential benefits of incorporating each into different aquaculture diets.

The team also had the opportunity to meet with personnel from the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) while at the symposium. Although they do not currently use sorghum in their formulations, customers had the chance to learn about the grain’s qualities, advantages, availability and its various uses in and outside of aquaculture. The meeting concluded with an opportunity for a Quality Samples Program (QSP) for shrimp or other species in Latin America.

“The team was very happy with the activities the Council and its partners provided to increase awareness about the potential benefits of these products in aqua production,” Rios said. “We hope we have provided participants with a way to achieve their aquaculture goals and pave the way for greater consumption in the sector within Latin America.”

Learn more about the Council’s work in Latin America here.