September 8, 2010

Brazil to boost tilapia output

Brazil has plans to dramatically grow its tilapia production in the future, after reporting a 20% production hike for 2009.

In 2009, the total volume of aquaculture in Brazil increased by 13.8%, and tilapia aquaculture by 19.6%, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA).

In two years, since 2007, aquaculture volume increased by 43.8% and tilapia by 39.8%.

In 2009, cultured volume was 415,649 tonnes, out of which tilapia was 132,958 tonnes. Tilapia is experiencing the greatest increase in volume with an increase of 21,831 tonnes.

MPA forecasts that by the end of 2011, 570,000 tonnes of aquaculture and tilapia production will increase of about 50,000 tonnes over the next couple of years, if output maintains its relative share of 32%.

If tilapia maintains the same annual increase as in 2009 of 19.6% for the next two years, the production of tilapia will increase by 57,000 tonnes to 190,000 tonnes.

With the establishment of the MPA, Brazil has made an important step in the direction of putting fishing and aquaculture on the political agenda.

MPA was created in June 2009 and Brazil got their first Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. MPA replaced the Special Secretaries for Aquaculture and Fisheries-Secretaria Especial da Aquicultura e Pesca (SEAP/PR) - which had existed since 2003.

In August 2008, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the development plan "More Fisheries and Aquaculture-2008/2011" ("Maize Pesca e Aqüicultura-2008/2011"), with specific volume target for 2011.

The report published by MPA in August this year maintains the targets for 2011.