Undercurrent News is reporting live from this year’s Aquaculture Roundtable Series (TARS) taking place from Aug. 17- 18.
Despite some progress, Asia’s production of farmed shrimp is still very much vulnerable to disease outbreak. In fact, yield fell to an estimated 2.2 million metrics tons across the region in 2015, compared to EMS (early mortality syndrome) production of 3.2m metric tons.
This year’s event will provide a platform for key industry stakeholders to exchange insights and experiences as to how Asia’s shrimp farmers can increase its handle on disease prevention and management.
Executives from companies such as BioMar and Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Foods, among many others, will be speaking, as well as a number of individuals from the world of science.
n a philosophical address, Soraphat Panakorn, technical Sales and support manager at Novozymes Biologicals, urged shrimp farmers to undertake more proactive approaches to management and keep disease at bay.
Panakorn said the old model of aquaculture being based driven solely around end-production had become outdated, and farmers now required a complete knowledge of everything from the physiological needs of shrimp to smart technology and how to better incentivize staff.
My message to farmers is that if you need to be a real farmer and not an investor, said Panakorn. Work harder, don’t be greedy, be open to share and accept change and keep learning. The imperatives continued.
Also, do not copy, but develop and modify. And if you fail, blame yourself first. Ask yourself, what did I do wrong? What mistake did I make? Otherwise you will repeat the same mistakes.
And treat your staff like they are family. They are partners in the business, he added.