2024 7th China Aquatic High-Value Feed Development Forum and 4th Agribusiness Summit

On October 27, the "2024 7th China Aquatic High-Value Feed Development Forum and 4th Agribusiness Summit" was successfully held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Under the theme "Gathering Global Solutions, Creating a New Chapter in Aquaculture," nearly 500 domestic and international experts and leaders from the aquatic feed industry gathered to explore forward-looking strategies for the sector.

Key Reports Presented:

1. Innovative Use of Brewer’s Yeast in Aquatic Feed – Professor Lin Shimei, Southwest University

Professor Lin highlighted that adding 1% nucleotides can enhance fish gut health, while 1-2% guanylate can improve plant protein utilization. Adding 3-9% yeast peptide to replace fishmeal showed no adverse effects on growth or gut health, significantly cutting costs. Lin also noted advancements in brewing technology could unlock new functions in brewer’s yeast for feed applications.

2. Functional Shrimp Feed Development with Ginseng Components – Professor Niujing, Sun Yat-sen University

Professor Niujing shared insights into using insect protein and ginseng in low-fishmeal shrimp diets. Ginseng fermentation, for instance, can replace 20% fishmeal when combined with just 10% fishmeal and 0.05% ginseng ferment. Additives like 0.1-0.3% ginsenoside improved shrimp growth and ammonia tolerance, while probiotics and prebiotics showed synergy beyond individual use.

3. Evaluating Protein Ingredients for Aquatic Feed Quality – Tang Ling, Chengdu Meiyide Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

Tang emphasized a "three-high, one-low" evaluation system focusing on nutritional value, low undesirable components, high health value, and high processing value. She highlighted species-specific protein digestibility, noting that grass carp have higher plant protein digestion rates than perch.

4. New Generation Feed Management Systems – Xu Kai, R&D Manager, Bühler China Innovation Center

Xu explained that smart factories are transforming feed production by linking data and operations. Bühler’s IoT platform enables real-time monitoring, production optimization, and predictive maintenance, providing multifaceted efficiency gains across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

5. Formulated Feed for Marine Crabs – Professor Zhou Qicun, Ningbo University

Professor Zhou announced a breakthrough in specialized feeds for blue crab growth and fattening, highlighting the need for further nutritional research. In 2022, China’s marine crab sector harvested 45.8 million tons of Portunus and 6.9 million tons of blue crab. Zhou noted that the feed industry is still reliant on shrimp parameters, underlining the importance of further database development.

6. Asian Marine Ingredient Supply and Demand – Qu Wenhai, Market Analyst, IFFO

Qu outlined that Asia contributed 37% of global fishmeal and 34% of fish oil from 2013-2022. Asia’s fishmeal and fish oil gaps exceed 1.1 million tons and 70,000-100,000 tons, respectively, with an ongoing need for imports to meet aquaculture demand.

The forum provided a comprehensive view of innovations, market challenges, and new technologies in the aquaculture feed industry, establishing itself as a critical event for sector stakeholders seeking practical, data-driven insights into sustainable aquaculture practices.