January 27, 2012

 

US study develops DDGS for aquaculture

 

 

A US researcher from Texas A&M University System has developed a way to use Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in aquaculture, which may enhance the US shrimp sector.

 

"The use of DDGS as an alternative ingredient in shrimp feeds has the highest potential of anything else in the world", explained Professor Addison Lawrence, a project leader and scientist in charge at Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory at Port Aransas, Texas.

 

The US domestic shrimp industry has been struggling with two main issues: the extremely high cost of shrimp feed, which can add up to US$600-$1,500 a tonne; and the lose of overseas markets, Ethanol Producers Magazine reports.

 

"Because Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in the tropics can grow two or three crops of shrimp per year compared to just one crop in the US, it's hard to compete", he commented. "Unless we do something we aren't going to have any [US shrimp production] in another 10 years." 

 

Shrimp producers in the US would benefit from a new, cheaper feed ingredient to make their business economically viable.

 

Since 2009, Lawrence has studied the inclusion of 20% DDGS in shrimp feed and determined that these shrimp diets performed equally or better than diets without DDGS.

 

One of his studies used sorghum DDGS and the second involved corn-based Dakota Gold DDGS from Poet LLC. The fermentation process even yields vitamins and other beneficial nutrients, he said.

 

Last year, Lawrence unveiled new shrimp production technology – super-intensive stacked raceways – that produces record-setting amounts of jumbo-size shrimp weighing 1.1 oz each. These are known as U15 shrimp and give world-record production of up to 25 kg of shrimp per m3 of water using zero water exchange and/or recirculating water, he explicated.

 

Its first commercial application is expected to occur in Texas in 2012. As the system is housed indoors, Lawrence thinks producers will be able to raise fresh shrimp anywhere in the country.

 

For every 2 ac of land, the system utilises 1 ac of water and can produce 5,000-12,000 lb of shrimp year-round using 120,000 lb of DDGS.

 

"The potential market is there", he said. "We can use huge amounts of this coproduct."

 

Ethanol producers would profit because DDGS could be sold for a premium into the shrimp market. On the low end, shrimp farmers could pay USD 600 a tonne for DDGS and still be spending less than usual.

 

But before that can happen, he needs to conduct more research so shrimp producers can be comfortable using DDGS to begin with. Further, it is up to ethanol producers to convince feed mills that they have an ample and predictable supply of cost-effective, high quality DDGS they can use in their feed instead of fish meal, he added.