Abstract
Shrimp aquaculture is under increasing pressure to deliver higher production yields while aligning with environmental and economic sustainability goals. A key challenge for the industry is reducing reliance on marine-derived ingredients such as fishmeal and fish oil, which are subject to price volatility, limited supply, and significant environmental impact.
Innovative feed ingredients and functional additives are critical in enabling this transition. By enhancing palatability, improving feed efficiency, and maximizing nutrient utilization, these solutions help to maintain or increase shrimp performance even as marine-based ingredients are reduced or replaced, ultimately contributing to a lower carbon footprint in production.
This presentation will showcase a range of novel ingredients and their application strategies to improve formulation flexibility, shrimp growth, health and overall feed performance. These practical examples provide a clear bridge between innovation and practical implementation, advancing both the sustainability and profitability of shrimp farming.
Abstract
The global shrimp aquaculture industry continues to face significant challenges, particularly inconsistent farming performance, and limited access to reliable information — all of which directly impact productivity and profitability. Precision farming, already well established in poultry and terrestrial agriculture, offers a data-driven approach to improve efficiency, optimize decision-making, and increase overall farm performance.
Shrimp farming, however, has been slower to adopt such innovations, mainly due to the dominance of small-scale operators, limited formal knowledge transfer, strong reliance on traditional methods, and a general perception that digital technologies are complex or difficult to implement. A study by Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives found that farms using Smart Farm Management Systems saw a 13% increase in productivity and a 95% rise in profitability — clear evidence of the benefits precision farming can bring to aquaculture. Core practices such as digital record-keeping, real-time water quality monitoring, and automation of operations are already gaining traction.
However, this presentation will focus on more advanced tools, many powered by AI that are beginning to support not only day-to-day farm operations but also strategic decision-making. These include market price forecasting, profit optimization models based on cost and price data, and digital platforms that facilitate knowledge sharing between small-scale farmers and larger players in the supply chain. Such tools enable a shift from reactive farming to proactive, business-driven management — improving survival rates, boosting yields, and increasing financial stability, all while advancing sustainability.
Abstract
Translucent post-larvae disease (TPD) is a relatively new and highly lethal bacterial disease affecting Penaeus vannamei production. It originated in China in early 2020s and it is now prevalent in Vietnam, in the hatcheries and grow-out farm. The disease, caused by a hypervirulent strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, was given this name due to its dramatic, visible impact on shrimp: pale, often transparent hepatopancreas and digestive tract, followed by massive mortality, which can reach 100% within 7-14 days.
Good Tôm is a modern shrimp farm operator located in the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam, producing P. vannamei in intensive settings. Akin to other farms in the region, the company has faced TPD over the past 12 months. In this presentation, we focus on three cases of TPD outbreaks in two Good Tôm farms. Across all these individual cases, three aspects were explored: (1) the likely source of the pathogens; (2) the biological and economic impact of this disease; (3) the attempts made to try to rescue infected shrimp and complete the farming cycle. Each of the TPD cases differs in its epidemiology, overall impact, and farm management protocol used to mitigate negative consequences. Thus, future lessons can be drawn to support other farmers manage the threat of TPD.
Abstract
Several factors, such as temperature, water quality (dissolved oxygen, ammonia-N, etc.), genetics and feed quality, are known to affect the growth performance, survival and efficiency of feed utilization of shrimp. Despite the importance of these parameters, there has been surprisingly very little work on assessing and predicting their impact on performances of shrimp reared under commercial conditions.
Starting with work initiated at the University of Guelph, Wittaya Aqua developed models and user-friendly tools enabling the analysis and robust description of the response of the animals reared under variable environmental factors. These tools also enabled the standardization of growth and mortality of animals and development of robust indices reared under a wide variety of production conditions. These were then used to analyze and benchmark performance of 100s of commercial shrimp production lots. They are also used to forecast and/or quantify the impacts of different environmental factors (alone and combination) and benchmarked performance levels on productivity and profitability of commercial shrimp culture operations. Considerable variability in performances was observed across production lots, farms and countries.
This work highlights the potential of models and benchmarking in helping the industry move forward.
Abstract
From the demand side, this presentation will look at shrimp imports after the Covid lockdown. It will show the route to market via the importers, wholesalers, distributors and downstream into the market segments of food service, supermarket retail and online retail. Online retail has grown tremendously to nearly a 60% share in China, probably more than any other country in the world. Many tier-one cities can deliver within 5 hours of registering an order. However, branding and product recognition are critical in this segment for repeat business.
China’s market is not homogenous; it offers a market for many shrimp product types from HOSO, HLSO, PUD to butterfly, but the product type and size must match the market segment. The demand for quality, sustainability and traceability also varies. The future is about moving upwards in quality and away from soaking. The food service demand is also changing. Chain restaurants have moved from bulk packaging to small individual packaging to ensure consistency in the individual kitchen.
Global shrimp prices have dropped over the past 3 years, and this has affected China. Ecuador and new South American countries have increased export volumes to China. This higher supply has led to price discounting and consequently to poor market sentiment. In terms of price elasticity, the lower import prices have not cascaded to the retail level. We see that prices to the consumer have remained stable. It will take time for the supply chain to balance itself.
Consumer confidence has indeed dropped in China, and this is due to the slump in property prices. However, this does not mean that the capacity to spend has been reduced. Shrimp consumption and imports will continue, while the inventory will become more balanced along the supply chain. The view is that 2025 is a correction year while 2026 will see consumption growth again. China’s shrimp aquaculture and the local supply side will also be presented.
