World Tilapia Markets in 2001

1. World Tilapia Markets in 2001 Kevin Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. Professor - University of ArizonaSec. / Tres. - American Tilapia Association President - US. Aquaculture Soc. Chapter of WAS October 2001

2. Introduction • Review worldwide tilapia production • Advances in production technologies • Examine production costs • Examine current tilapia markets • Discuss problems of supply and demand • Opportunities to expand markets

3. Tilapia introductions around the world • Oreochromis mossambicus first to be widely distributed in 1930’s and 1940’s. • To United States in 1954 • Oreochromis aureus introduced in 1950’s and 1960’s. • Oreochromis niloticus introduced in 1970’s • Red strains developed in 1970’s and 80’s • Oreochromis niloticus spreads in 1990’s • Total production of 900,000 mt in 2000

4. Production widely distributed around the world. • FAO reports production in 85 countries. • East Asia, Indonesia, Latin America, Caribbean, Middle East, are primary tropical producers • Germany, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Korea, Japan, most states in US

5. Production widely distributed around the world. • Wild catch being replaced by farm raised • Used in many cuisine, hundreds of recipes • Tilapia, boulti, pla nil, mojara, St. Peters fish, freshwater snapper

6. Grows well in most production systems • Ponds • Cages • Raceways, round tanks, recirculating systems • Ranching (lake releases) • Freshwater, Brackish water, Estuarine, and Marine

7. Grows well in most production systems • Polyculture with shrimp, catfish, carp • Herbivorous and /or omnivorous • Good growth in fertilized ponds • Many agricultural by-products can be used in tilapia feeds or to fertilize ponds

8. Pond culture in the Philippines

9. Ponds and cages Reservoir pond in Arizona Farm pond in Brazil

10. Cages in irrigation ditches

11. Cages in Egypt 10 m2 cages near Alexandria

12. Cages in Irrigation Reservoirs 100 m2 cages in Philippines

13. Intensive ponds Ponds in Arizona Ponds in Costa Rica

14. Intensive tanks Tanks in Arizona Tanks in California

15. Intensive Raceway Systems Raceways in Arizona Raceways in Mexico

16. Production directly in delivery ditches

17. Pond culture to cotton irrigation

18. Other benefits of Tilapia • Simple hatchery technology • Disease resistant • Grow well at high densities • Several color variants available • More “domesticated” than most aquaculture crops

19. Red strain of tilapia

20. Established market demand • Accepted in many national dishes • Popular in many forms • Live, Whole, fillets, fresh and frozen, smoked, sashimi

21. Problem (opportunity) areas • Low fillet recovery rate • Slow growing females • Off-flavors

22. Advances and Solutions: Low fillet recovery rate • Selective breeding programs (GIFT, Israel, US) • Tilapia genome project • Transgenics - Growth hormones • Growth enhancers - Bovine Somatotropins • Better processing equipment

23. Advances and Solutions: Slow growing females • Methyltestosterone • Genetically male tilapia • All male hybrids • High density culture • O. niloticus with larger females

24. Advances and Solutions: Off-flavors • Depuration systems • Control of blue-green algae • Production in systems with limited access to benthic algae (cages, recirculating, indoors)

25. Major Tilapia Producers (estimate for year 2000) • China - 450,000 metric tons / year • Mexico - 102,000 mt / year • Philippines - 90,000 mt / year • Taiwan Province - 90,000 mt / year • Indonesia - 50,000 mt / year • Brazil - 45,000 mt / year • Thailand - 40,000 mt / year

26. 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

27. Major Tilapia Producers in International Trade • China - whole frozen, IQF fillets • Philippines - fresh (all domestic) • Taiwan - whole & IQF, sashimi • Mexico - fresh (all domestic) • Indonesia - IQF fillets • Thailand - IQF fillets

28. Estimated cost of production • China - $1.00 / kg • Philippines - $1.10 / kg • Taiwan - $1.50 / kg • Mexico - $1.30 / kg • Indonesia - $1.20 / kg • Thailand - $1.30 / kg

29. Typical prices for Tilapia products sold in the U.S. (October 2001.)

30. Species produced • Shrimp, trout, tilapia, catfish, grass carp and many other species can be grown in irrigation water.

31. Carbon monoxide debate • CO used to preserve fillets • Maintains “fresh appearance” • Still under review as treatment • May improve shelf life, reduce bacteria • May have to report as treated with a preservative

32. Supply and Demand • Supply primarily from tropical countries • Demand is in producer countries and US • With rapid increases in supply, demand must increase at least as fast to support price.

33. Production of Tilapia in the Americas 2000 (by volume)

34. 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, Cuba USA - strong domestic demands, minimal exports

35. Estimated cost of production • Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba - $1.10 / kg • Costa Rica, Jamaica - $1.20 / kg • Colombia, Mexico - $1.25 / kg • USA - $2.00 / kg • Canada - $2.10 / kg

36. 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.

37. 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

38. Tilapia production and Markets in Mexico • Production in most states of Mexico • Intensive in north, lake ranching in south • Strong domestic markets; on ice, fillets in grocery stores • Will eventually develop export markets.

39. Tilapia production & Markets in Brasil • Production in Southeast and Northeast • Red tilapia in Southeast for fee-fishing and food • Cage farms allowed in NE reservoirs. • Tilapia leather industry • Jump in interest with ISTA 5 in Rio. • Will eventually develop export markets.

40. 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?

41. Tilapia aquaculture in Ecuador

42. US Tilapia consumption (mt)

43. Source of US Tilapia supply 2000 (by volume)

44. US. Tilapia imports 1993-2000

45. Value of tilapia products imported to U.S.

46. Tilapia Production in the US = Live Sales

47. www.tilapia.org

48. Internet Tilapia Market sites

49. Internet Tilapia Market sites

50. 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