soybean field

USSEC Korea Conducts On-Site Consultations on Soy-Mixed Feed with Jeju Island Flounder Growers

USSEC Korea conducted on-site consultations with ten flounder growers on Jeju Island.  These growers’ annual total fish production was estimated to be 1,200 metric tons (MT) and annual total feed consumption in the form of extruded pellet (EP) was estimated at 1,800 MT.  This group was a part of 56 targeted flounder growers who switched to EP from MP (fish-based moist pellet feed) in 2013.  They were classified as target groups due to their lack of understanding about the benefits of soy-mixed EP based on feedback.   USSEC’s objective was to reeducate them about the feeding values of soybean meal and soy protein concentrate as a protein source for fish culture to make them favorable to the inclusion rates of soybean meal and/or soy protein concentrate as suggested by USSEC (12% in diet as soybean meal and 18% in diet as soy protein concentrate).  The expansion of the Korean government’s subsidy program to encourage the use of EP this year is expected to motivate more flounder growers to switch to EP from MP.  USSEC will continue to educate these growers about the benefits of using soybean meal and soy protein concentrate as protein sources in terms of reduced feeding costs, sustainable feed supply and consistency in quality.

USSEC Aqua Utilization contractor talks with a flounder grower about daily feeding rates of EP by fish size and water temperature
USSEC Aqua Utilization contractor talks with a flounder grower about daily feeding rates of EP by fish size and water temperature