Using sorghum in fish feed did not impact fillet color. Photo courtesy of USGC
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) traveled at the end of August to Southeast Asia to demonstrate the potential of U.S. sorghum as a feed ingredient for fish.

The USGC recently completed in-country feeding trials to test the viability of substituting sorghum or corn for cassava, with support from the USCP, for Pangasius, a large catfish species native to Southeast Asia. The trials concluded both grains could replace cassava as a source of starch for feeding Pangasius.

Results showed no difference between the sources of starch on growth performance, fillet color or physical properties of feed pellet quality (density and floatability). Beyond starch, sorghum is also low in tannins and contains higher protein than cassava as well as more amino acids (similar to corn), particularly tryptophan and threonine, the USGC said.

The USGC and USCP are showcased these results during travel to Vietnam and Thailand, including to one of the world’s leading seafood trade shows - VietFish 2017. Every year, nearly 200 local and international exhibitors participate in the show, with approximately 30,000 visitors from Vietnam and around the world attending. The Council and the USCP conducted a series of seminars during the tradeshow as well as distributed the trial results at technical workshops and discussions in Thailand.