Why strengthening aquaculture nutrition expertise is critical in 2026
- Progressus
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Asia’s aquaculture industry is facing a new level of complexity. Ingredient markets are volatile, traditional raw materials such as fishmeal and fish oil are becoming less predictable, and sustainability expectations continue to shape feed development decisions. Many companies are adjusting formulations to control costs — but without a solid, species-specific nutritional foundation, cost reduction efforts can unintentionally reduce performance and create long-term inefficiencies.
Reducing feed cost is not the same as optimizing feed value.
Formulation decisions today require a deeper understanding of ingredient functionality, nutrient interactions, digestibility, and how fish and shrimp respond to dietary changes across different production conditions. Reformulating without this understanding can lead to poorer feed conversion, inconsistent growth performance, and higher overall production costs.
This is why the updated Advanced Aqua Nutrition & Feed Formulation AgriSchool 2026 focuses on strengthening practical decision-making skills that professionals can apply immediately in their daily work.
Taking place in Bangkok from May 19–22, 2026, this four-day intensive training program helps nutritionists, formulators, and technical professionals better evaluate ingredient alternatives, interpret nutritional data, and make formulation decisions that support both performance and cost efficiency.
Rather than focusing only on theory, the program connects advanced nutrition principles directly to practical formulation strategy, feed performance, and farm productivity outcomes. Participants gain a clearer understanding of how to balance ingredient constraints, nutrient requirements, and economic pressures while maintaining consistent biological performance.
Professionals attending the program will strengthen their ability to:
evaluate alternative protein, lipid, and carbohydrate sources without compromising animal performance
interpret laboratory data and ingredient specifications with greater confidence
optimize feed formulations under changing raw material conditions
better align nutritional strategy with farm productivity targets such as FCR, growth, and uniformity
understand how nutrition supports immunity, stress resilience, and robustness in fish and shrimp production
improve communication between nutrition, formulation, and production teams
Ultimately, the objective is to help professionals move beyond reactive reformulation and toward more structured, data-informed decision making that improves consistency and profitability.
The program is led by experienced facilitators including Thomas Wilson, Aqua Nutrition Consultant and lead facilitator, Dr. Noratat Prachom, a facilitator with more than 15 years of experience in fish nutrition, feed formulation, feed processing, quality assurance, and research and development in aquaculture. The facilitator team also includes Dr. Daranee Seguin, an aquaculture nutrition expert. Together, they help ensure the program delivers scientifically grounded knowledge with strong practical relevance for formulation decisions and farm performance improvement.
The feed formulation component is led by Ian Mealey, Product Marketing Director for Formulation at Datacor (formerly Format Solutions). With more than 30 years of experience in formulation technology and feed business operations, Ian has worked with companies globally across feed, aquaculture, premix, and food sectors. His sessions focus on how formulation tools and data can be used more effectively to optimize ingredient purchasing strategies, improve formulation efficiency, and maintain product quality. Through practical demonstrations and guided exercises, participants gain insight into how formulation decisions translate into measurable business impact. As ingredient markets continue to evolve, strengthening nutritional understanding is becoming an essential capability for companies seeking to remain competitive and resilient. The updated 2026 program reflects the current realities of aquaculture feed development and provides a structured learning environment where participants can deepen their expertise and refine their formulation strategies.
Advanced Aqua Nutrition & Feed Formulation AgriSchool 2026
Bangkok, Thailand
May 19–22, 2026
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