Tilapia Production in the Americas

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Tilapia Production in the Americas

• Kevin Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.
• Professor - University of ArizonaSec. / Tres. -
  American Tilapia Association
• President - US. Aquaculture Soc. Chapter of WAS
• May 28, 2001

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Tilapia introductions to the Americas

• Oreochromis mossambicus first in the Caribbean in
  1949 by C.F. Hickling
• To United States in 1954
• Oreochromis aureus introduced in 1957
• Throughout the Americas by 1970
• Oreochromis niloticus into Brazil 1971
• Red strains developed in 1970s and 80s
• Oreochromis niloticus spreads in 1990s
• Total production of 257,000 mt in 2000

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Production widely distributed around the Americas.

• Tilapia introduced to every country
• Tilapia, mojarra, St. Peters fish, Jamaican
  freshwater snapper, Cherry Snapper
• Used in hundreds of recipes
• Live, Whole, fillets, fresh and frozen, smoked

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Production systems used in the Americas

• Ranching (lake releases)
• Ponds (extensive and intensive)
• Cages
• Raceways, round tanks, recirculating systems
• Freshwater, Brackish water, Estuarine, and Marine

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Extensive production in ponds and cages
Farm pond in Brazil
Reservoir pond in Arizona
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Cages in irrigation ditches
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Intensive ponds
Ponds in Arizona
Ponds in Costa Rica
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Intensive tanks
Tanks in Arizona
Tanks in California
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Intensive Raceway Systems
Raceways in Mexico
Raceways in Arizona
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Production directly in irrigation delivery ditches
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Pond culture to cotton irrigation
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Tilapia in the Americas
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Major Tilapia Producers in the Americas ( for
year 2000)

• Mexico - 102,000 metric tons/year
• Brazil - 45,000 mt / year
• Cuba - 39,000 mt / year
• Colombia - 23,000 mt / year
• Ecuador - 15,000 mt / year
• Costa Rica - 10,000 mt / year
• USA - 8,200 mt / year
• Honduras - 5,000 mt / year

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Major Tilapia Products in International Trade

• Costa Rica - fresh fillets
• Ecuador - fresh and frozen fillets
• Honduras and Jamaica - fresh and frozen fillets
• Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, USA - all domestic, no
  exports

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Estimated cost of production

• Costa Rica - 1.20 / kg
• Brazil - 1.10 / kg
• Ecuador - 1.10 / kg
• Mexico - 1.30 / kg
• Jamaica - 1.20 / kg
• USA - 2.00 / kg

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International markets

• Costa Rica was first major exporter
• Ecuador is now major exporter from the Americas
• Honduras has rapid expansion
• Colombia, Cuba, Brazil and Mexico are supplying
  strong domestic markets
• Prices on international markets will not increase
  from present levels.

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International markets

• Ecuador has passed Costa Rica as supplier of
  fillets to US
• Ecuador integrating with shrimp production
• Colombia and Mexico were exporters to US, but
  exports levels decreased while production
  increased

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Source of US Tilapia supply 2000 (by volume)
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US. Tilapia imports 1993-2000
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Tilapia Production in the US Live Sales
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Intensive farm in Iowa, USA
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Intensive farm in Iowa, USA
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Tilapia production in Mexico

• Production in most states of Mexico
• Intensive in north, lake ranching in south
• Strong domestic markets
• Will eventually develop export markets.

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Tilapia production in Mexico
Tilapia-shrimp farm in Sonora
Pond Tilapia farm in Tamaulipas
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Tilapia production in Ecuador

• Replacing shrimp because of white spot disease
• Using shrimp infrastructure
• Exporting to US and EU
• Will they revert to shrimp if disease is
  controlled?

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Tilapia aquaculture in Ecuador
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Tilapia production in Brazil

• Pond culture, cage culture in reservoirs
• Fee fishing and skins for leather

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Tilapia in Colombia

• Before 1980, Colombia had strong domestic market
• Developed export trade to US
• Domestic market has grown so strong that exports
  were suspended
• Colombia imports tilapia from Venezuela and
  Ecuador

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Tilapia aquaculture in Colombia
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Rio Linda Tilapia farm in Colombia
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International market changes

• Increasing domestic consumption in producing
  countries especially Colombia, Brazil, Mexico,
  Costa Rica
• Colombia starting to export again, Mexico and
  Brazil will follow

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Current International Market Trends

• Increase in demand for all forms of tilapia
• Demand increase will be greatest for fresh
  fillets
• Prices have been constant for several years and
  will remain stable, will not increase with
  inflation.

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Current International Market Trends

• US and EU growers will concentrate on live sales
  and highly processed forms
• Latin America and Southeast Asia will be primary
  US suppliers
• Latin America, Caribbean and Africa will supply
  EU

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New product forms
Smoked tilapia
Sashimi grade tilapia
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Changes and Predictions

• Further intensification in virtually every
  country
• Production will be 75 Oreochromis niloticus, 20
  Red strains, O. aureus and O. mossambicus mostly
  for hybridization
• Production will be 50 intensive ponds, 25
  cages, 10 intensive recirculating systems

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Changes and Predictions

• Further intensification in virtually every
  country
• Production will be 75 Oreochromis niloticus, 20
  Red strains, O. aureus and O. mossambicus mostly
  for hybridization
• Production will be 50 intensive ponds, 25
  cages, 10 intensive recirculating systems

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Changes and Predictions

• Further intensification in virtually every
  country
• Production will be 75 Oreochromis niloticus, 20
  Red strains, O. aureus and O. mossambicus mostly
  for hybridization
• Production will be 50 intensive ponds, 25
  cages, 10 intensive recirculating systems

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Changes and Predictions

• Leather goods from skin will become a significant
  contributor to profitability
• Processing and "value-adding" will intensify in
  producing countries
• Polyculture with shrimp will become common in
  most shrimp farming areas

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Changes and Predictions

• Processing and "value-adding" will intensify in
  producing countries

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Polyculture with shrimp will become common in
most shrimp farming areas
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Changes and Predictions

• US production will increase slowly, intensifying
  current production methods

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Changes and Predictions

• US production will increase slowly, intensifying
  current production methods
• Production in the Americas will reach 500,000 mt
  by 2010 and 1,000,000 mt by 2020

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Dawn of Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas