The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently hosted its third International Aquaculture Conference in Cairo, Egypt, bringing together nearly 50 industry professionals from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The event, organized by USGC's regional offices in Malaysia and Tunisia, focused on promoting the use of U.S. corn fermented protein (CFP) and distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in aquaculture diets.
Egypt, the world's third-largest producer of tilapia, provided an ideal backdrop for the conference. Mohamed Salah Bouthour, USGC deputy regional director for Africa, emphasized the importance of sharing the nutritional qualities of U.S. corn co-products with stakeholders in this rapidly developing region.
The conference featured presentations on global tilapia production, overviews of various aquaculture species, and insights into regional aquaculture industries. Carlos Suárez, USGC Director of Global Sustainability, highlighted the renewable attributes of U.S. corn co-products as ingredients for aquaculture feed.
Attendees also visited key industry stakeholders, including Skretting and WorldFish, to observe modern production techniques and explore future innovations. The event culminated with discussions on global aquafeed supply and demand, led by USGC Regional Aquaculture Consultant Ronnie Tan, and a panel on the use of CFP and DDGS in feeds.
Ana Ballesteros, USGC deputy regional director for Europe & the Middle East, noted the value of peer-to-peer learning at such events. USGC members, including The Andersons and TransGlobe, provided additional insights on the nutritional benefits and sourcing considerations for CFPs and DDGS.
Caleb Wurth, USGC regional director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, emphasized that sharing the latest research and facilitating facility visits can help grow global demand for U.S. DDGS, benefiting both U.S. producers and aquaculture farmers worldwide.
