USSEC recently conducted the Regional Animal Production Course (RAPCO) for shrimp production at Auburn University in Alabama.  This event, conducted by USSEC Regional Director Francisco de la Torre and USSEC consultants Belinda Pignotti and Jairo Amezquita, was attended by a team of 32 representatives of shrimp production companies from Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico who are users of U.S. soybean products.  The course was given by experts from Auburn and also included recognized speakers from other universities and USSEC consultants.  Major topics focused on technology of formulation and nutrition aspects; aqua feed management; uses of soybean products in aqua feeds; water quality; manufacture; feed pelleting and extrusion; shrimp health; bioflock management; shrimp production techniques; certifications; and seafood market analysis.

The course proved to be both interesting and useful for the participants, many of whom expect to implement changes and improvements in their processes and operations.  The shrimp production companies that attended this course together produce more than 900,000 metric tons (MT) of shrimp per year, representing a potential use of more than 400,000 MT of soy products yearly.  The implementation of new technologies for the shrimp industry presented in the course will improve both product quality and shrimp production costs.