U.S. soybean leaders are in Cambodia this week witnessing the progress that ASA/WISHH and strategic partners have made to grow the Cambodian aquaculture industry and its use of soy in aquaculture feeds that contribute to a safe and sustainable supply of nutritious fish protein. The farmers are meeting with WISHH’s strategic partners under WISHH’s USDA Food for Progress Project as well as soy checkoff-supported work in aquaculture.

The farmer trade team includes ASA President Brad Doyle, Vice President Daryl Cates, WISHH Chairman Gerry Hayden, WISHH Secretary Morey Hill and WISHH Treasurer Bob Haselwood. USB Director Greg Greving joins today. On Monday, Greving will address a global audience at the Third International Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition Conference. Greving will present U.S. Soy’s productivity, sustainability, including use of conservation practices, as well as U.S. Soy’s role in global food security. WISHH Executive Director Gena Perry and ASA Government Relations Director Virginia Houston are also part of the trade team.

The group visited AgriMaster, a buyer of U.S. soybean meal, and supplier of soy-based fish feeds across all of Cambodia’s provinces. The farmers got a firsthand look at the company’s latest investment in a major expansion of its livestock feed production facility as well as fish feed manufacturing.

The trade team also visited a fish distribution company that has upgraded its food safety and labeling of products through training and support of WISHH’s USDA project. The woman owner of the company is also an active member of the Cambodian Aquaculturist Association that WISHH’s project helped launch. The association now has 550 members, ranging from feed fish farmers, feed millers and fish distributors. The U.S. farmers will also exchange ideas with the CAA and livestock raisers association while in Cambodia.

The group will also see how soy checkoff funding has allowed WISHH to introduce new aquaculture technology to Cambodia. The Missouri Soybean Research and Promotion Committee supported WISHH’s introduction of In-Pond Raceway Systems that designed for Cambodia’s unique needs. Thanks to Nebraska soy checkoff support, WISHH has worked on aeration technology to help farmers overcome production challenges. Illinois soy checkoff funding allowed WISHH to lead trials that successfully showed that Cambodia’s popular striped snakehead fish will eat and grow well with soy-based feeds.