The USSEC Southeast (SEA) aquaculture program uses expert local technical contractors in key markets to help promote and expand the use of U.S. Soy. Two new technical contractors were recently hired to complete the USSEC SEA aquaculture team.
USSEC SEA maintains a core team of aquaculture experts in key markets, namely Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Having this core team in place allows USSEC to execute a variety of national and regional activities and initiatives. The team is also the “eyes and ears” that listens to, and helps to understand, what key target audience stakeholders are saying about soy, U.S. Soy, and the needs of the aquaculture industry.
In FY19, a decision was made to expand and rationalize the Vietnam market for aquaculture by changing from a single contractor to two contractors. Generally speaking, they would focus separately on the Red River delta (northern Vietnam) and the Mekong River delta (southern Vietnam). One of the new contractors is Trudy Uyen, who just joined the USSEC team. She brings a wealth of experience and insight, particularly from the feedmill sector, as she was formerly a formulator for De Heus Feedmill.
In Myanmar, USSEC, and specifically the USSEC aquaculture program, was an early mover. Though the efforts of the regional aquaculture program technical contractor, Lukas Manomaitis, and Dr. May Myat Noe Lwin, USSEC was able to promote U.S. Soy as the first quality ingredient entering that market after sanctions were lifted. Moving forward, it will be critical to bring the Myanmar aquaculture sector to international norms and with a greater focus on Aquaculture Economics 101. USSEC’s new contractor, Thawdar Htwe will help the aquaculture team do this in Myanamar, and has extensive subject matter expert (SME) experience.
“These new contractors will help us to both better focus our efforts in these key markets and bring valuable expertise to the overall USSEC SEA aquaculture team to help promote U.S. Soy and expand the feed-based aquaculture sector,” says Mr. Manomaitis.