A delegation from the National Aquaculture Association of Guyana (NAAG) recently attended a large aquaculture trade show in Florida to express their unique of farm-reared tilapia fish. Chico Persaud, a NAAG representative, said that the exposure at the show was worth at least a year and a half in the field as tapping into other people’s resources enhances one’s learning curve.
Another representative, Desmond Kanhai said after attending the show he would move forward with plans to expand his farm and to market his product. It is true that farm-reared fish have been produced in limited quantities here though increased production has made fish more readily available in local markets. Beni Sankar, NAAG chairman, informed that the first shipment of farm-reared fish was exported last August and a shipment of 1,200 pounds of tilapia was recently sent to Barbados.
He added that after exporting tilapia many processors are willing to get involved. As farm production in Guyana is still small many farmers must come together to produce enough volume for export, says Sankar. According to him a great collaboration is going on in Guyana as this farming allows smaller farmers to combine their production with a larger farm in order to take the advantage of markets.
