Australia\'s Ridley Corporation Limited has secured a long-term lease agreement on a 7.5-hectare site to produce its shrimp feed ingredient Novacq™. The site has seven fallow ponds that will be reconfigured to facilitate production.
Novacq™ has been shown to promote shrimp growth rate improvements of around 40%, improve feed conversion, and enhance animal well-being through enhanced resistance to viral/bacterial attacks.
Ridley plans to start production in a 0.1-hectare test pond, whilst developing three other one-hectare production ponds. Stage-one production will supply the Ridley Aquafeed plant at Narangba, near Brisbane, with sufficient Novacq™ to commence deliveries to domestic shrimp farmers and to conduct further trials with the ingredient.
Funding for post-harvest processing systems, including packing systems, silo, shed storage, infrastructure and pond works will cost up to $1.2 million. Stage-two will replicate Stage-one in four additional ponds.
“Once we have demonstrated the ability to produce and market Novacq™ as a value-adding offering to domestic shrimp farmers, we will look to take the expertise to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, all of which are covered by an exclusive sales and manufacturing license with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO),” said Tim Hart, Ridley’s CEO.
