According to the US Grains Council (USGC), catfish production in Vietnam was estimated at 1.2 million tons in 2014, which required approximately 2.4 million tons of feed.

A primary ingredient used in catfish feeds in Vietnam is cassava. However, cassava is in high demand locally, and the current production level of around 7 million tons is not enough to supply the growing need for feed for catfish and swine, as well as uses for biofuel. 

According to a study sponsored by the USGC, sorghum is one potential ingredient to substitute for cassava as a source of starch for feeding Pangasius in Vietnam. Sorghum contains a reasonable amount of protein (10%), higher than cassava, and also contains higher amino acids, similar to corn but relatively higher in tryptophan and threonine.

During the study, which took place at the research farm of a private company in Vietnam, grain sorghum from the United States was imported and analyzed for chemical composition and amino acids content. Sorghum was then included in a diet formulation. The sorghum diet was compared to a cassava-based diet and corn-based diet during a 120-day feeding trial.

Results found that U.S. sorghum, can be successfully fed up to 20% in the diet of Pangasius to replace cassava and similar to a corn diet at 10% inclusion rate. 

Read the Final Report containing complete study results