October 25, 2007

Producer group in US state of Indiana to promote soy use in aquaculture

A producer group is promoting aquaculture in Indiana, a land-locked state, through the use of soymeal as feed.

The programme was launched in August as part of Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) strategic plan and involved increasing the use of soymeal in Indiana farm-raised fish diets.

ISA recently named Steven Hart of Lebanon, IN. as the organization's new Aquaculture Director to continue the initiative to promote soy use in aquaculture.

Hart, who joined ISA this month, has made raising awareness that aquaculture can be a viable form of agriculture in Indiana as one of his top priorities.

Feeding trials have shown that, depending on the species, soy can partially or totally replace fish meal in more than 50 fish species, most of which can be raised in Indiana.

The combination of new producers and soy-based feeds should open new markets for Indiana soy within the state, he said.

The long-term goal of this initiative is to create a demand for Indiana-branded, soy-fed fish, he added.