Last week, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council’s (USGBC’s) regional office for Latin America (LTA) held the second edition of Aquacumbre in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a trade-oriented event that introduces the technical and nutritional excellence of U.S. products in aquaculture feed applications while providing a strategic platform to strengthen relationships between buyers and sellers.
This year, Aquacumbre added a global perspective by combining speakers and program events from prior International Aquaculture Conferences organized by other USGBC offices.
“Building on the success of our inaugural program, this year the Council expanded its reach to include participants from additional Council offices including Mexico and Southeast Asia (SEA), along with securing speakers from the Middle East and India,” said Sierra Richey, USGBC regional programs and special projects manager.
“The broader global participation created valuable opportunities to exchange perspectives on market trends, production practices and innovation across regions.”
U.S. members were invited to actively participate through exhibition spaces during the event to connect with buyers, and attending agribusinesses included USGBC members Cargill, Hang Tung Resources, POET and Trans Globe.
Topics included a global shrimp and tilapia outlook, aquaculture nutrition, genetics, pond management, sustainability, industry perspective panels and aquafeed ingredient logistics, with discussions highlighting the use of U.S. corn co-products and sorghum in shrimp and tilapia diets.
Attendees also visited shrimp farms, packing plants and processing operations for a firsthand look at the scale and efficiency of the Ecuadorian aquaculture industry. As the global leader in shrimp production, Ecuador offered the international participants the opportunity to learn from the production practices, sustainability efforts and feed management strategies while reinforcing the role that corn co-products have played in supporting the growth and competitiveness of the industry.
“As the global aquaculture industry continues to evolve, producers around the world are gaining confidence and familiarity with the use of U.S. corn co-products and sorghum,” said Angelica Ríos, USGBC marketing specialist.
“Sharing experiences and success stories from international customers will continue to demonstrate the value, performance and sustainability benefits that U.S. corn co-products and sorghum can provide across global production systems.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Latin America on the organization’s website.