USSEC consultants Gina Conroy and Jairo Amezquita provided recent technical assistance to Represa Peñitas, a major tilapia farm located in Chiapas, Mexico.  Topics discussed include water quality, mortalities, nutrition, cage culture management, hatchery bio-flock management, feeding practices, laboratory procedures and quarantine methods.

This aquaculture farm is the largest private producer of tilapia in Mexico producing about 10,000 metric tons (MT) per year using intensive systems such as cage culture.  95% of its production is sold in the national market as whole fish and the remainder as fresh or frozen fillet.  It produces its fry in the Plan de Ayala hatchery, which is also the site of a large new processing plant.  This tilapia producer has requested to continue receiving USSEC technical assistance.
As Mexico’s tilapia culture continues to develop, good opportunities are created for the export of U.S. soybean products as both Mexican and American markets demand more whole fish and fresh or frozen fillet.  Additionally, another Mexican aquaculture farm aims to increase its production to approximately 50,000 MT per year by 2018.  This growing demand is expected to continue the increased consumption of U.S. soybean products by Mexico.