(L-R) Mr. Albert Lanojan (Planning Officer, Regional Fisheries Training Center Employees Cooperative, Panabo Mariculture Park), Ms. Maria Lourdes Campeon (Officer in Cgarge for the ASA-IM Milkfish Demo Project- Aquaculturist, BFAR-RFTCEC), Mr. Andrew Ventura (Training Center Director, Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, Davao del Norte), Mr. Levy Loreto Manalac (Technical Manager-Aquaculture, ASA-IM Philippines) and Mr. Diomede C. Bucog Jr. (Area Sales Manager, Tateh Premium Feeds-Santeh Feeds Corp.) during the stocking of milkfish in the ASA-IM Milkfish Cage Demonstration Project in Panabo Mariculture Park, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines 

ASAIM began a milkfish cage demonstration project recently to convince milkfish farmers in Panabo and Mindanao regions in the Philippines that using extruded floating feeds instead of sinking feeds will ensure better performance and profitability.

The project is a cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and a feedmill, Santeh Feeds, and aims to show milkfish farmers the growth performance and economic returns of milkfish (Chanos chanos) cultured from fingerling to market stages in marine cages using ASAIM soy-optimized formulated extruded floating feeds. The demonstration project will also showcase ASAIM feed-based LVHD cage culture technologies using their existing cage sizes compared to their traditional culture methods. The extruded floating feeds for the demonstration projects are produced by Santeh Feeds.

ASAIM Technical Manager-Aquaculture, Mr. Levy Manalac, said the demonstration will also highlight that using extruded floating feeds instead of sinking feeds as well as using feed enclosures to prevent feeds from getting out of the cages would minimize FCR. A proper cage orientation and cage positioning would also maximize fish growth.

ASAIM targets milkfish farmers in both regions who are using sinking (pellets and extruded) feeds and afraid to use extruded floating feeds in their culture. This demonstration began after ASAIM Philippines had conducted several training sessions for the staff BFAR and Santeh on how to prepare and implement these ASAIM recommended aquaculture practices.