Cargill has announced the development of iQuatic ™, a shrimp feed produced exclusively for automated feeders using acoustic technology. iQuatic ™ feed will be available in Central and South America over the next few months.

Through this acoustic technology, the automatic feed dispensers use microphones to detect when shrimp are eating, enabling the sytem to deliver more precise amounts of food when shrimp are hungry. iQuatic ™ feed is designed and formulated with ingredients that help ensure that shrimp take in all the nutrients available in a pellet.

”Our iQuatic ™ feed gives shrimp farmers a big competitive advantage because it maximizes feeding times,” said Adel El-Mowafi, Cargill global technology director for aqua. “Giving shrimp food during their natural feeding patterns makes a huge impact on productivity, but the nutritional and functional design of the feed itself has to be right. Otherwise key nutrients can dissolve."

Automated feeders use the acoustic technology to understand the natural eating patterns of shrimp, resulting in improved efficiency. Because the shrimp make better use of the nutrients delivered, they grow faster and produce less waste. This results in improved feed conversion ratio and better water quality allowing for a more environmentally sustainable operation with healthier, larger shrimp.

“Our iQuatic ™ feed field trials have resulted in improved feed conversion ratios as much as 15 to 20 percent,” said Martin Baertl, Cargill strategic marketing lead for aqua. “Our customized iQuatic ™ feed ingredients and nutrients are designed specifically for acoustic automated feed technology to meet distinct farming needs."

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