February 23, 2007

US to research more ways to integrate soy into aquaculture
 

The soybean checkoff, a US programme to promote soy usage, is working to develop ways to include soy in fish food.

Aquaculture is growing at around 10 percent globally and is expected to consume an estimated 8.8 to 11 million tonnes of soy meal in the next decade, Terry Ecker, United Soybean Board International Marketing chair said. The soybean checkoff recognized the bright future of aquaculture and is exploring new technologies to increase soy inclusion in fish diets.

Soy-based diets for select marine fish have been developed and are being demonstrated in several projects located in the Philippines, Vietnam, and China. Research is focused on barriers to soy inclusion in the diets of marine fish such as salmon, pompano, amberjack, Mediterranean sea bass, sea bream, cobia and shrimps.

China's aquaculture industry went from using no soy meal a decade ago to over 150 million bushels annually, said Ecker. Thanks to advances in aquaculture, China has become the top export customer of US soybeans, he said.