Break-out session: Shrimp Production (part 1)

Ecuador is growing its shrimp output at a rate no one else can match. Many throughout the shrimp industry wonder whether Ecuador can continue to increase its output at equal rates or if it's about to reach peak capacity. Although no one has a clear answer to this, we will speak to an Ecuadorian industry representative to better understand how Ecuadorian shrimp production in 2023 is evolving and whether we will have more years of rapid growth ahead of us.

Presented by Yahira Piedrahita, Executive Director, Chamber of Aquaculture Ecuador

China is a black hole in terms of domestic shrimp production. Whilst some estimate Chinese production at around 800,000 MT, the Chinese government sometimes claims numbers above 2 million MT. The reality is most likely, somewhere in between. Fuci Guo will share his observations and insights which he captured during visits to Chinese shrimp industry players in early 2023. Insights into Chinese domestic production and its connection to shrimp imports will help the industry to better understand if the gap between local production and countrywide consumption will soon be closed by domestic producers.     

Presented by Guo Fuci, PhD, Global Category Lead Aquaculture, Royal Agrifirm

The Chinese shrimp industry is huge, with many players and geographical fragmentation. During this panel, Chinese industry insiders will jointly reflect on Fuci Guo's observations and further guide us on how demand and supply in China may develop. 

Panelists:

Fred Kao, Chief Executive Officer, SyAqua

Guo Fuci, PhD, Global Category Lead Aquaculture, Royal Agrifirm

Fang Qing, General Manager China, Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Ronnie Jin, PhD, Senior Partner & Vice General Manager, Aqua-One

Presented by Alex Farthing, CSO, DELOS

Panelists:

Alex Farthing, CSO, DELOS

Craig Browdy, PhD, Director of Research and Development, Zeigler Nutrition

Loc Tran, PhD, Founder and Director, ShrimpVet

Lorenzo Juarez, General Manager, Hendrix Genetics Ecuador

Ravi Kumar Yellanki, Managing Director, Vaisakhi Biomarine

Bangladesh is traditionally a producer of P. monodon and M. rosenbergi shrimp. However, with production dwindling, processors have been struggling to keep factories running. Today, there are three trends which may change the trajectory of the Bangladeshi shrimp industry. (1) The wider availability of domesticated P. monodon broodstock and post-larvae, (2) the gradual expansion of semi-intensive farming operations, and (3) the recent approval for the introduction of L. vannamei shrimp. Many people wonder why Bangladesh has chosen to shift to L. vannamei in an already crowded market, instead of focusing on scaling P. monodon production, but the Bangladeshi industry is convinced it's the right way ahead. In this presentation, we will hear more about the current challenges that the Bangladesh shrimp industry is facing and the opportunities the industry sees to overcome these challenges.   

Presented by Shyamal Das, Owner, M.U. Seafoods

Abad Overseas is a JV between Nueva Pescanova and the Indian fishery conglomerate Abad Fisheries. Abad Overseas has a team in Andhra Pradesh with know-how from Latin America that works day and night with Indian farmers to produce head-on shell-on quality products for markets in Southern Europe and China. Despite starting small, the company today runs 4 factories throughout Andhra Pradesh and exports a wide range of P. monodon and L. vannamei products. During this presentation, the managing director of the company will tell the history, current status, and future outlook of its activities and reflect on whether this model could also be applied by other Indian producers. 

Presented by Sheraz Anwar, Director, Abad Overseas

With competition heating up for conventional shrimp (raw, frozen, HOSO and HLSO products), an ever increasing number of producers/processors aim to move into value-added products (raw peeled, cooked HOSO/HLSO/peeled and further value-added products). Angel Rubio will take us through the data, which demonstrates how the value-added shrimp segment is growing, and panelists will reflect on the story behind this information. Of course, data only tells one side of the story, and the panelists will also discuss the investments into value-added products seen in different production countries and what this might mean for the future. Overall, the session will aim to answer the main question of “what it takes for a producer to be successful in the production of value-added shrimp products”.

Presented by Angel Rubio, Senior Data Analyst, Urner Barry Consulting

Panelists: 

Brendan Curran, Vice President Procurement, AquaStar

Miles Moncada, Business Development Director LATAM, Laitram Machinery

Rogier Speelman, Managing Director, Fisherman's Choice