USSEC China’s aquaculture program conducted its 20^th annual Aquaculture Field Trial Evaluation Workshop in Juizhaiguo, China in June.  The workshop brought together USSEC feeding demonstration cooperators, China aquaculture extension personnel, industry representatives and the USSEC aquaculture staff and global program manager to report on and evaluate the results of cooperative feeding demonstrations with USSEC technologies and soy feeds.  Participants evaluated the results of freshwater and ocean aquaculture feeding demonstrations with grass carp, common carp, crucian carp, sturgeon, turbot and marine shrimp.  This was the first year that feeding demonstrations were conducted in newly renovated ponds to identify maximum sustainable biomass in the new systems.  All feeding demonstrations were successfully completed and yielded excellent fish and shrimp growth and economic return by using USSEC’s soy diets.  China USSEC aquaculture staff Jim Zhang, Zhou Enhua and David Li Naishun, together with Asia regional marine aquaculture advisor Hsiang Pin Lan and global director Dr. Michael Cremer worked with participants to plan for FY14 feeding demonstrations and related cooperative activities.  Workshop participants enjoyed team building opportunities during an outing to the Valley of Nine Villages National Park

China’s Ministry of Agriculture reported at the workshop that industry adoption of USSEC’s 80:20 pond in 2012 increased by 4.87% in acreage in 16 provinces to 0.91 million acres, with two provinces not yet reporting.  There was a corresponding 16.39% increase in economic return to farmers who used the 80:20 technology.  Adoption of USSEC’s Low Volume High Density (LVHD) cage technology increased 6.5% in 2012 over 2011.