“Achieving sustainability through Innovation” is the phrase that identifies the second edition of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Symposium organized by the AGEXPORT Aquaculture and Fisheries Sector, placing Guatemala as a relevant actor worldwide in this industry. For three days, nearly 500 participants from Colombia, Cuba, Belize, the United States, Mexico, France, Canada, Brazil & Guatemala, will be in the country exchanging knowledge and experiences with more than 30 national and international experts; networking, doing business and traveling to farms that produce both shrimp and tilapia.
“In a work of almost 40 years, the highly technical aquaculture production chain in Guatemala has managed to be backed by international certifications of environmental and social sustainability. This, plus its innovations in production and finished product, has made it a success story in the region, with intensive shrimp farming and responsible tilapia production, generating employment for more than 13,000 people, mostly women who work in the different processing plants. Today we are a reference in the region, and with high convening power for this second Aquaculture Symposium, which has been prepared with a high-level program with discussions on markets and trends, technology and management practices, nutrition, genetics and focused diseases in shrimp and tilapia. In addition to going to see the farms that are examples of high technology and productivity”, commented the president of the Organizing Committee of the Symposium, Ing. Juan Carlos Bolaños.
The Shrimp Industry, in recent years, has grown under a new modality, with intensive farming systems, reaching high productivity of the order of 60,000 lb/Ha/cycle (90 days). Its high value-added approach has led the Guatemalan industry to be a supplier of frozen, breaded, coconut-coated, and ready to eat shrimp. Being suppliers of supermarkets and restaurants in regions of Asia, the United States, Europe, Mexico and others. At the end of 2021, 77 million dollars of shrimp were exported.
A similar case has risen with the production of Tilapia, a product that mainly serves the United States market. With the participation at the national level of small and medium-scale production units, in which excellent quality tilapia fingerlings are produced with genetically improved lines, which, integrated into the fattening phase and processing plant, are subject to rigorous controls. sanitary.
Aquaculture Symposium of Guatemala with views to being a Latin American benchmark
With a panel made up of scientists, advisors, producers, among others, the 2nd edition of the Guatemalan Aquaculture Symposium will begin. Some of the experts are: Dr. C.R. Subhashini (India), expert in immunodiagnosis, Dr. George Chamberlain (USA), president of the Global Aquaculture Alliance; Dr. Luis Fernando Aranguren, with more than 20 years of experience in aquatic animal health. Also participating will be Dr. Paola Barato (COL), scientist, veterinary pathologist, specialist in aquaculture and doctor in Biotechnology; Ph.D Moisés Poli (BRA), specialist in comprehensive animal health. For his part, the MSc. Alexander deBeausset (GUA), expert in shrimp farming in Central and South America. (meet all the speakers here)
“Having such a complete program will allow, mainly Guatemalan businessmen, to continue advancing in their productive, sanitary and standards processes that are sustainable to guarantee better results. This and other actions make us optimistic of exceeding in 2022 the US$133.4 million exported during 2021, and exporting US$150 million, as well as entering new markets such as Brazil and China”. Bolaños stressed.
The second Guatemalan Aquaculture Symposium will also count with an exhibition floor, in which 52 commercial companies will participate, representing the value chain, including processing plants, balanced feed plants and input suppliers, all of whom will share products with the attendees. , services and countless opportunities to do business.
