Register Now! Feasibility of Feed Mill Operation in Hawaii End Users Input Workshop, October 26, 2023
Hawai’i is the most remote archipelago on Earth; close to 90% of its food, including seafood, is imported. Hawai’i has the water resources and favorable climate conditions for aquaculture development. However, aquaculture development in the islands has faced several roadblocks. A recent survey conducted by the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA)-funded by a grant from NOAA- indicated that there are two key bottlenecks for aquaculture development throughout the Pacific Island region: strict regulations and a lack of inexpensive/affordable local feed sources.
The limited availability of affordable feed has hindered the expansion of aquaculture in the region. The most recent thorough study on the problem and prospects of livestock feed in Hawai’i was conducted and reported in 1975 by Nishimura (1975). It concluded that feed was the largest cost item in livestock production, representing between 50% to 75% of the total cost of production. Feed costs in aquaculture typically account for between 40% and 60% of production costs (De Silva and Hasan, 2007). Considering transportation, the cost is even higher in Hawai’i. Can feed be feasibly produced in Hawai’i?
Andini Desita Ekaputri, a graduate student under the guidance of Dr. Stuart T. Nakamoto and Dr. PingSun Leung at the University of Hawai’i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), has developed a spreadsheet to estimate the cost of a feed mill in Hawai’i. CTSA and the University of Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program will hold a workshop on October 26 to present the feed mill spreadsheet and solicit industry input on the feasibility of an aquatic feed mill in Hawai’i. The meeting will be held in Room 219 of the Agricultural Science building on the UH Manoa campus, and online. A detailed agenda will be released soon.
Please register by October 15, 2023: https://forms.gle/hCDHxajJfveuZDXo6
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