52 MARCH 2017 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG that allow identification of production schemes that ensure greater profitability according to the growing conditions of each shrimp farmer (Quispe 2016). The use of productive indicators allows comparison of results obtained by different shrimp farmers or among the results of each production cycle of the same shrimp farmer. Productive indicators allow projection, analysis and evaluation of production results according to: • Type of stocking used (direct or following acclimation or nursing in raceways) • Type of food and nutrition to use (high, medium or low) • Daily / weekly growth target • Survival • Feed Conversion Ratio • Technology used (e.g., automatic feeders, aeration). The productive indicators described here are the productive index (PI) and the productive efficiency indicator (PEI). Productive Index (PI) The Productive Index (PI) is calculated as the value of the shrimp crop minus the sum of total feed costs and all other production costs. The PI (US$) is then divided by the pond area (ha) and by number of days in the culture period, resulting in an index expressed as US$/ha per d. The PI/ha per d is a referential indicator that measures only the return over the cost of production. It should not be confused with the net income obtained by the shrimp farm. It does not include costs of borrowing money or depreciation. For comparative purposes, the same shrimp sale price should be used. The Productive Index (PI) is a referential indicator that allows comparison of production efficiency among production models and/ or production cycles of a farm, as well as among different shrimp farms. This enables the identification of opportunities and strategies for improvement. The main variable to be analyzed and related is shrimp growth (g/wk) where, regardless of production model (density, harvest weight, survival, FCR), PI/ha per d is directly related to shrimp growth. It is also possible to perform production efficiency comparisons based on the production cost of shrimp (per pound or kilogram) according to shrimp size. This provides support for management decisions to determine production schemes based on pond load capacity and harvest sizes by market prices, for example. It is of the utmost importance to use a balanced feed with excellent nutritional values to ensure the greatest possible shrimp growth, as The growth of shrimp production in Ecuador has been impressive since 2010, based on greater pond productivity and the adoption of new technology (Quispe 2013). Therefore, it has become necessary to develop indicators that allow comparison of production models among shrimp farms or among production cycles within a farm. This allows identification of farm-level strategies that assure greater competitiveness. Production Growth in Ecuador In the 1990s, shrimp production in Ecuador was slightly more than 100,000 t. In the 2000s, after outbreaks of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), nearly ten more years were needed to approach 150,000 t. Since 2010, growth has more than doubled and in 2016 exceeded 350,000 t (Fig. 1). Shrimp production is expected to exceed 400,000 t by the end of this decade, suggesting that trends in growth will continue. The evolution of growth in the shrimp industry in Ecuador has been due to slight increases in stocking density (Table 1). The greater production has been a result of greater weight at harvest with a shorter culture period and greater shrimp growth. Since starting activities in Ecuador in 2003, the Peruvian shrimp feed company Nicovita has been contributing to the growth of the shrimp industry in Ecuador with high-nutrition feeds, feeding techniques and management, such as use of the Nicovita feed table, and have made it possible to reduce the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and support the development of a more profitable and sustainable industry. At the same time, shrimp farmers have been implementing technologies like raceways and nursery ponds that allow farmers to supply better initial nutrition (Table 2). In addition, automatic feeders and aeration allow reduction in the culture period in grow-out ponds (Limsuwan and Ching 2013), making it important to use highperformance feeds. Indicators of Productivity In the current decade, widespread implementation of technology in the Ecuadorian shrimp industry has been occurring. Improvements in the implementation of productive technologies that took place in this decade include automatic feeding, aeration, genetic improvement programs, better nutrition feeds and functional feeds, and bioremediation. Furthermore, investments were made in pond infrastructure, major water refills, and use of raceways and nurseries. These have led to the implementation of productive indicators Production Efficiency Indicators for Use in Shrimp Farming Máximo Quispe Chau FIGURE 1. Annual cultured shrimp production (t) in Ecuador. Source: Estadistic S.A. and Cámara Nacional de Acuicultura.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=