Nicovita is committed to the development of technological innovations tailored to the needs of Ecuadorian shrimp farmers. At AquaExpo 2022, the company introduced two innovations, a mobile automatic feeder and a high-precision shrimp counting service, that will be on the market in 2023.
Currently, technology has positioned itself as an enabler to maintain the competitiveness of the industry and improve sustainable production. Nicovita aims to revolutionize the market by incorporating disruptive ideas that exceed the precision and efficiency of the tools that are currently available on the market.
Smart mobile feeder
The Smart Mobile Automatic Feeder developed by Nicovita maximizes the efficiency of feeding. The feeder ensures greater precision in the feeding process of up to 1,000 kg per day with an automatic system that minimizes operability. The mobile automatic feeder improves the pond bottom condition by avoiding waste and reducing the accumulation of debris, taking care of the soil and the environment.
The feeder has a total reach of the surface five times higher compared to standard (fixed) automatic feeders. Once the scheduled route begins, it has the capacity to feed up to 40% of the surface of a pond of up to five hectares.
High precision shrimp counting service
The calculation of the amount of feed is one of the main problems of shrimp farmers and Nicovita developed the High Precision Individual Counting Service to solve this issue. Until now, no technology allowed precision counting of shrimp raised in ponds. For farmers, the low precision on the number of shrimp implies underfeeding or overfeeding and, therefore, impacts growth and production costs.
For the new service, Nicovita uses high-frequency active acoustics that detects the number of shrimp in ponds. A team of analysis experts estimates biomass, distribution, and bathymetry of the pool, among others. “This is a unique Nicovita service available to Ecuadorian farmers for intelligent, efficient and precision feeding, with a confidence level greater than 95%,” the company said.
“Technology becomes a relevant part of shrimp farmer's day-to-day. The use of these tools is part of the way they manage their farm and they have incorporated them into their operations. All efforts to develop tools or processes for farmers generate greater precision and efficiency with an impact on the feed conversion ratio,” said Arturo Francia Arima, director of Vitapro's Digital Ecosystem.
According to Fedexpor, from January to September of this year, the accumulated value of shrimp exports totaled USD 5,086 million in Ecuador, which represents 46% more of the value exported compared to the same period in 2021. This growth tendency is expected to continue and Nicovita said that the future of the industry will depend on how cost-efficient, precise and sustainable shrimp production becomes. In addition to nutritional solutions, for the past few years, Nicovita has been complementing its value proposition with a portfolio of digital and technological products and services, and with expert advice providing comprehensive solutions tailored to the challenges and needs of producers.
