For too long the focus of diet manufacture has been “least cost formulation” and while this is a function of saving money at the point of the biggest single cost to the farmer, there is a clear danger of least cost formulating off the edge of “the risk cliff”, says Dr. Richard Smullen, Technical Manager, Ridley AgriProducts Pty. Ltd.,
Delegates at Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2014 will hear that with the volatility of the fishmeal and oil markets, currency fluctuations and the issue of sustainability, there has never been a time where feed company formulators have been under so much pressure to hit the sweet spot of lowest cost feed and highest production of fish or shrimp.
\"It is too easy to be tempted into using lower specification raw materials and adjusting formulations to meet commercial expectations\" Dr. Smullen says, but case studies will show that current diets can meet all the above considerations and actually improve growth, FCR and above all health of farmed fish and shrimp, while bad decisions can cost you dearly.
Dr. Smullen obtained his PhD from the Gatty Marine Laboratory, St Andrews Scotland and started his Post doctoral studies at the Institute of Aquaculture in 1994 where he continued his work on eyestalk neuropeptides in shrimp and lectured on the Aquaculture MSc course. After leaving the academic environment Richard worked for BioMar as the Technical and Product Development Manager and since 2003 he has been the Technical Manager at Ridley Aqua-Feeds in Brisbane Australia. He also currently manages the R&D portfolio for Ridley managing feed and farm trials for shrimp, barramundi, kingfish, salmon and tuna.
Dr. Smullen is just one of a series of international speakers who will address advances in aquafeed formulation and processing at Asia\'s leading technical conference for aquafeed professionals, Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2014. The 7th in this series of conferences will take place April 8, 2014 at the BICC, Bangkok, Thailand, along side feed industry trade shows, Victam/FIAAP Asia 2014.
Registration is now open and offering discounted registration to \"early birds\". Full details of the program and registration at feedconferences.com.
