A record 54 attendees, from Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia and Thailand, participated in the NACA-Alltech Shrimp Health Management Training Workshop recently (October 3-8, 2005), in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop was the 12th in the series previously sponsored by NACA and AAHRI. Attendees gained useful strategies for basic shrimp health management and learned about current trends in the shrimp production industry.

Leading educators in the shrimp industry conducted the five and half day program which covered farming both Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei and included a two-day field trip to visit a local laboratory, hatcheries and farms.

“ Alltech was very pleased to be involved, with NACA, in the organisation and running of this workshop. The fact that attendees came from so far away to attend the school demonstrates the need for such a program.” said Mr Dan Fegan, Asia Pacific Regional Technical Manager – Aquaculture, Alltech Inc.

This year’s course gave more prominence to the business side of shrimp farming than in previous courses. “The current reality is that, with increasing competition and pressure on prices, good farm technicians have to be aware of the business factors affecting shrimp farming and have to be able to make decisions based on sound business as well as technical principles,” said Mr. Fegan.     

Alltech Inc., a provider of natural feed ingredients for the Aquaculture industry, and NACA (Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia Pacific), an intergovernmental organisation, are looking at ways to develop this workshop across the region further in 2006 based on the success of this year’s program.

For more information on Alltech Aqua, please contact Aquaculture@alltech.com or log on to www.alltec.com