USSEC’s successful 2013 Intensive Pond Aquaculture (IPA) demonstration in Pingwang, Jiangsu Province has piqued the interest of the Chinese aquaculture industry regarding this new technology.  More than 1000 industry specialists from different provinces visited the demonstration last year and it is widely anticipated that at least thirty IPA units will be set up in five Chinese provinces in the 2014 production season.  The successful adoption of IPA technology also attracted more than $1.2 million (U.S.) of government support for the technology’s extension.  USSEC is using a two-pronged approach to expedite the spread of IPA technology, both adding more demonstrations in 2014 and providing greater technical support from USSEC consultants and staff to other IPA operations to minimize mistakes by individual producers.

USSEC aquaculture consultant Dr. Jesse Chappell of Auburn University traveled to China from March 31-April 11 to provide technical assistance for the set-up of the Radial Flow Settler (RFS) for the IPA demonstration site in Pingwang.  Dr. Chappell also helped with the construction of new IPA systems at other sites and determined the technical details for all IPA demonstrations.  While visiting a demonstration site in Dafeng, Jiangsu Province, Dr. Chappell was pleased to see 18 cells being built in a pond of about 30 acres, most likely the largest IPA unit in the entire country.  USSEC will follow up on the progress of this unit by providing all proper technology details and other support to ensure its success.  This unit’s success will greatly boost the development of IPA in that region, as there are over 30,000 acres of ponds next to each other suitable for IPA operation.
USSEC Aquaculture Program Manager Jim Zhang and Freshwater Technical Manager Zhou Enhua escorted Dr. Chappell on this trip and helped facilitate discussions and visits.