Last week, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) gathered professionals from the Mexican aquaculture industry for a two-day training program at Auburn University to expand knowledge around the use of corn co-products like distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn fermented protein (CFP) for shrimp production.

Patricia Esqueda, USGBC senior marketing specialist, emphasized: “The Council is seeking to expand its effectiveness in the Mexican feed market and especially is looking at increasing U.S. corn co-product exports to the country by providing technical training opportunities to shrimp producers that showcase the nutritional benefits of U.S. agricultural goods. These events also encourage closer ties between participants and U.S. producers and exporters who can facilitate healthy business relationships in the near future.”

The course was designed to help the industry overcome technical constraints by focusing on the nutrition of various aquaculture species, raw material procurement, aquafeed ingredient properties, use of DDGS and CFP, biosecurity, pellet quality and extrusion technologies.

In addition to the educational sessions, attendees toured the C.P. Mariculture Research Center and met with TransGlobe, a USGBC member, to learn more about U.S. corn co-product supply, domestic use and international availability.

Esqueda added: “We have been working with representatives from the Mexican aquaculture sector for several years, specifically in shrimp and tilapia and have started seeing results, with the country’s top shrimp producer currently importing U.S. CFP and establishing a trend among smaller producers.”

“By attending this course at Auburn University, one of the top schools in aquaculture study, participants will feel confident in streamlining their operations with newfound knowledge about U.S. DDGS and CFP and have the business connections to acquire them,” concluded Esqueda.