Ridley was awarded a grant of $3 million from the Australian Federal Government to undertake one of the largest aquaculture nutrition research projects to be delivered in Australia. The funding was granted in the eighth round of Australian Government Cooperative Research Centers Projects (CRC-Ps), with Ridley as the lead applicant in partnership with Deakin University, The University of Queensland, CSIRO and Genics Pty Ltd.

The project, titled “Future-proofing the salmon farming industry in the face of climate warming,” will help to safeguard and boost sustainability in Australia’s most valuable food aquaculture industry. The project will employ nutritional physiology strategies to increase the resilience of salmon at times of increased temperatures, such as those experienced during the summer months. It will enable Ridley to further tailor its diets to meet the future challenges of the unique Australasian environment.    

Ridley’s chief executive officer and managing director, Quinton Hildebrand said that “Ridley has a long history of investing in the advancement of the aquaculture industry, through both innovation and infrastructure as demonstrated through the completion of our state-of-the-art extruded feed facility in Tasmania. Our focus is on ensuring that we provide animal nutrition solutions tailored for our Australian and New Zealand customers.”

The project will commence in September 2020 and is expected to be delivered in 2023. It will employ several PhD and post-doctoral positions with tangible benefits to be achieved throughout the duration of the project and long into the future.