May 24, 2023

US Grains Council's aquaculture conference held in Morocco

Aquaculture industry professionals from around the world came together for the US Grains Council's (USGC's) International Aquaculture Conference in Morocco this month.

The conference covered topics including the nutrition of various aquaculture species, raw material procurement, aquafeed ingredient properties, biosecurity, pellet quality and extrusion technologies.

The workshop not only served as an educational opportunity for aqua professionals, but also allowed the council to strengthen its ties with Moroccan aquafeed industry professionals, specifically, as the organisation connected them to international industry professionals. The council sees the aquaculture industry as a catalyst to leverage and raise demand for US corn co-products, especially corn-fermented protein.

"The Council has been promoting the use of US DDGS in aquafeed rations recently to expand the number of commercial feed manufacturers using the product," said Ramy Taieb, USGC regional director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "These types of events enable the Council's EMEA regional office to join forces with Council staff from offices in Southeast Asia, Latin America, China and Mexico, and work to achieve common goals in support of US producers.

"Aquaculture is a growing industry in the world, and it's extremely important for stakeholders to understand the quality and availability of US feed grains as they expand their operations and increase output."

In addition to the two-day conference, USGC's EMEA staff led the group on a tour of a local fish farm and organised a visit to the National Institute for Fisheries Research.

Moving forward, the council plans to continue promoting and highlighting the benefits of US corn co-products, especially corn-fermented protein products, in aquafeed ration.

- USGC