Ralco acquires patent for land-based shrimp production

Texas A&M University has licensed its patent for the highly intensive raceway system of shrimp production for the United States market to Ralco.

"The technology that has been licensed to Ralcochanges the rules of the industry altogether," general manager for the company''s shrimp division, Michael Ziebell said.

"Shrimp harvesting of the oceans has reached its limit. Shrimp ponds are currently struggling with disease and the oceans are rising which is silting in existing shrimp ponds and the cost of transporting shrimp a third of the way around the world is extremely high. The super-intensive raceway system provides us with great competitive advantage. We will be able to grow shrimp in a confined environment, with a greater ability to control disease and provide a predictable supply of fresh shrimp."

Ralco is currently constructing a pilot shrimp research facility at the Ralco Technology Campus in Balaton, Minnesota. The facility will provide Ralco''s aquaculture technical team with the ability to scale up the lab-based patented concept and further refine structural elements of the raceway system to ensure that future commercial production facilities produce shrimp as efficiently as possible.

The company will provide commercial producers with specifications for land-based production facilities. It will provide the shrimp larvae and shrimp feed. It will also process and market the shrimp within and outside of the United States.

"The reason I believe we can increase the household consumption of shrimp is that shrimp is a beautiful protein. It is a very healthy protein. It contains cholesterol but it is only good cholesterol (sic) and when we more efficiently produce it and get it to market at a more competitive price, then consumption will grow. Today the American consumer thinks of shrimp as an expensive treat, but it will become a healthy alternative," Ziebell said.

Ralco is a third-generation family-owned multinational company with distribution in more than 30 countries. It is a leading global provider of livestock nutrition, animal health products and crop enhancement products. Ralco supports large segments of the poultry, aquaculture and crop industries.