The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council brought together professionals from Mexico's aquaculture industry last week for a specialized training program at Auburn University focused on incorporating American corn co-products into shrimp production.
The two-day course aimed to expand knowledge about using distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn fermented protein (CFP) in aquaculture feeds.
"The Council is seeking to expand its effectiveness in the Mexican feed market and especially is looking at increasing U.S. corn co-product exports to the country," said Patricia Esqueda, USGBC senior marketing specialist.
The program addressed technical constraints by covering nutrition, raw material procurement, ingredient properties, biosecurity, pellet quality and extrusion technologies. Participants also toured the C.P. Mariculture Research Center and met with USGBC member TransGlobe to discuss corn co-product supply and availability.
Esqueda noted that the Council's efforts are already yielding results, with Mexico's top shrimp producer now importing U.S. CFP, establishing a trend among smaller producers.
"By attending this course at Auburn University, one of the top schools in aquaculture study, participants will feel confident in streamlining their operations with newfound knowledge about U.S. DDGS and CFP and have the business connections to acquire them," she said.
