Thailand Constructing First IPRS

On June 26 and 27, USSEC visited the site of Thailand’s first In Pond Raceway System (IPRS), Manit Farm in Petchaburi province. Manit Farm is the country’s largest tilapia fingerling producer with a good reputation and willing to share the benefits of IPRS with others in the industry.
USSEC’s objective in starting the country’s first IPRS is to build up Thailand’s standard IPRS. This will allow Manit Farm’s customers to get the full benefits of this system. Moreover, Manit Farm will use this IPRS as a learning center to show the industry how to increase productivity and sustainable yield for Thailand’s aquaculture industry by using this model to show their customers and other people in the industry.
Manit Farm first became interested in IPRS technology via USSEC’s IPRS seminar in October 2018. Following the seminar, a USSEC team visited the site several times and guided them to start IPRS construction in February 2019. Within the next two months, construction work will be finished and they will stock in early September 2019. They plan to produce the first crop of tilapia (45 metric tons) in 135 days. This project will also work with the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University to demonstrate and train the fisheries students and other industry representatives.
With USSEC’s guidance, Manit Farm’s team is being trained on the most recent IPRS technology and the best standard IPRS layout.
20 participants associated with Manit Farm, along with university researchers, attended a meeting there June 25-27. The USSEC team visited the IPRS construction site to ensure that all construction is properly following the design. Manit Farm is a fixed raceway approach with 3 raceways constructed in approximately 30,000 m3 of pond water.
USSEC consultant Dr. Jesse Chappell of Auburn University, the author of IPRS technology, gave a presentation focusing on IPRS design and principle. Presenting his field experiences from China and Vietnam helped the Thai participants better understand IPRS technology, and they followed up with a discussion and questions.
“It is an advantage for the first IPRS farm [to be] constructed in Thailand now when all modifications [that have] happened in Vietnam have been identified,” said Bui Ngoc Thanh, USSEC Aquaculture Technical Manager - Northern Vietnam.
By applying IPRS technology, fish farmers can produce higher yields. Thailand is a leading producer of aquaculture products in Asia. Successfully adopting IPRS technology will further increase aquaculture production and the consumption of U.S. soybean meal in aquafeeds.

(From left): Dr. Jesse Chappell, Chuchai, Levy Manalac and Lukas Manomaitis
Dr. Chappell gives a presentation at Manit Farm