Aquaponics Digest - Thu 02/12/98

Message   1: Tilapia Harvest/Sales
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message   2: Re: Tilapia Harvest/Sales
             from james.rakocy@uvi.edu (James Rakocy, Ph.D.)


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Subject: Tilapia Harvest/Sales
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 12 Feb 1998 13:52:42 -0600

Thought the group might be interested in this exchange.  Paula

On 2/4/98 I wrote to Dr. Rakocy, in part:

>Also, just as a side note, we've found a good market in our local area for
>>any "stunted" fish we have at harvest time with ethnic groups that prefer
>>the smaller fish, whole, for their families.  Just a thought.  I know it
>>helps to keep our system better balanced by clearing out and restocking, and
>>this gives us a good outlet for fish that would not be salable otherwise.
>>
>>Thanks again for the materials.
>>
>>Paula Speraneo

Dr. Rakocy replies:

 All fish should be harvested at the end of the
>production cycle. If you you do partial harvests of the biggest, fastest
>growing fish, then stunted, genetically-inferior fish will accumulate in the
>system and waste space and feed without growing. You also lose count of the
>inventory.  
>
>If you lower the price enough, you could probably sell fish of any size.
>What are you getting for the smaller fish? I was just in Nepal. There a 5-g
>fish sells for the same price as a larger fish. They need protein. They
>don't know what a trash fish is because no protein source is discarded. 
>
>Jim 

Dr. Rakocy - We usually charge less for the smaller fish (Tom will vary it
from $1.50-$2.00).  Our normal price is $3.00 US/each for market-size (1 to
1-1/4#).  Of course we, here, are not selling the volume that you're
producing at your operation.  

When in Nepal were you investigating aquaponics as a viable food production
system for someone there?

Paula
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 2                                                           |
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Subject: Re: Tilapia Harvest/Sales
From:    james.rakocy@uvi.edu (James Rakocy, Ph.D.)
Date:    Thu, 12 Feb 1998 21:11:28 -0400 (AST)

>Thought the group might be interested in this exchange.  Paula
>
>On 2/4/98 I wrote to Dr. Rakocy, in part:
>
>>Also, just as a side note, we've found a good market in our local area for
>>>any "stunted" fish we have at harvest time with ethnic groups that prefer
>>>the smaller fish, whole, for their families.  Just a thought.  I know it
>>>helps to keep our system better balanced by clearing out and restocking, and
>>>this gives us a good outlet for fish that would not be salable otherwise.
>>>
>>>Thanks again for the materials.
>>>
>>>Paula Speraneo
>
>Dr. Rakocy replies:
>
> All fish should be harvested at the end of the
>>production cycle. If you you do partial harvests of the biggest, fastest
>>growing fish, then stunted, genetically-inferior fish will accumulate in the
>>system and waste space and feed without growing. You also lose count of the
>>inventory.  
>>
>>If you lower the price enough, you could probably sell fish of any size.
>>What are you getting for the smaller fish? I was just in Nepal. There a 5-g
>>fish sells for the same price as a larger fish. They need protein. They
>>don't know what a trash fish is because no protein source is discarded. 
>>
>>Jim 
>
>Dr. Rakocy - We usually charge less for the smaller fish (Tom will vary it
>from $1.50-$2.00).  Our normal price is $3.00 US/each for market-size (1 to
>1-1/4#).  Of course we, here, are not selling the volume that you're
>producing at your operation.  
>
>When in Nepal were you investigating aquaponics as a viable food production
>system for someone there?
>
>Paula
>S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
>Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/

Paula, That's a very good price. We're getting $2.50 in St. Croix. Nepal is
not ready for aquaponics. They are doing polyculture in ponds with six carp
species using a manure-based system. They want to do tilapia for the tourist
restaurants. There is no source of fish feed in the entire country. So I'm
looking at production systems involving combinations of urea, triple super
phosphate, some imported feed, and (forgive me) chicken litter. There's
hardly any chicken litter either and fertilizers are hard to come by too.
It's very basic. People live on the edge. Life expectancy is 53. Jim R.