32 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | March-April 2013

Marcela Feedmill and Farm

The United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC) is a non-profit organisation that implements the international marketing activities of the U.S. soybean industry. In 2002, USSEC initiated the ‘Soy in Aquaculture' project to bring research and knowledge on sustainable, feed-based aquaculture developed in China over the past twenty years, to other regions. Starting in Southeast Asia, the project will be working directly with feedmillers, farmers and other aquaculture stakeholders.

The Soy in Aquaculture Project works with aquaculture feedmills, fish and shrimp producers, government agencies and industry associations to promote sustainable, feed-based aquaculture in the Southeast Asian region. The program also seeks to highlight the benefits of the use of U.S. soy products in particular, focusing on the reliability, consistency and technical support that only U.S. soy products offer.

In the Philippines, USSEC has been working with Marcela Farms Inc. to develop a low cost soy optimised diet for tiger shrimp (P.monodon) and white shrimp (L.vannamei). Marcela is one of the biggest integrated aquaculture companies in the Philippines, operating their own hatchery, feedmill, grow-out operations (shrimp and fish), processing plant and marketing (wholesale and retail).

PHOTOSHOOT

March-April 2013 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | 33

In 2011, Marcela Farms expanded their operation by acquiring additional culture areas and venturing into white shrimp culture. In 2012, USSEC conducted a white shrimp comparative diet study to show the effectiveness of US soy products as an alternative source of protein and replacement to fishmeal. Results showed that using a diet with more U.S. soybean meal produced a kilo of shrimp US$0.62 cheaper compared to their own commercial diet, an annual saving of US$435,400.

In 2009, USSEC formulated a low cost soy optimised diet for tiger shrimp and recommended the use of other ingredients to reduce the usage of imported fishmeal. Using USSEC formulations, fishmeal usage was reduced by 10 percent to 30 percent and U.S. soybean meal inclusion was increased from 16 percent to 200 percent compared to their own diets. In 2010, Marcela conducted their own comparative study of the USSEC formulated diets with their own formulations. Results showed no significant difference in terms of growth rate, FCR and survival rates for the two diets, but the price per kilo of feed to produce a kilo of tiger shrimp was lower by US$0.23 using USSEC formulations, which translates into savings of US$163,000 annually for the company. Marcela has adopted some of the USSEC soy optimised targets in their own formulations and continues to produce high quality feeds for shrimp culture.

All

imag

es c

ourt

esy

of M

arce

la F

arm

s, In

c.©

Page

layo

ut b

y M

arni

e Sn

ell,

Pere

ndal

e Pu

blish

ers

Lim

ited