March 27, 2025: We are pleased to announce that the 14th The Aquaculture Roundtable Series® (TARS) returns to SHRIMP AQUACULTURE and its challenges. Continuing the trend of focusing on this important industry in alternate years, the conference series will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from August 20-21, 2025.
Shrimp aquaculture continues to be challenged by low prices, due to oversupply while constant disease outbreaks lower survival rates and productivity. Inflation pressures and rising input costs reduce margins. Prices are not expected to rise in the near future. Our Asian model is no longer tenable nor economically sustainable. Gone are the days when farming mistakes could still yield good margins.
TARS 2025 serves as the platform for industry stakeholders to come together to explore new options and chart a new path for long-term economic sustainability, that is based on PRECISION farming for higher PRODUCTIVITY, leading to better PROFITABILITY.
Zuridah Merican, Editor of Aqua Culture Asia Pacific and Chair of TARS 2025, said:
“TARS 2025 will be the most important in the recent history of shrimp aquaculture in Asia because the industry has reached a fork in the road. Supply has exceeded demand, and prices have fallen below the breakeven point in many countries. Cost of production will continue to creep upwards. We need unity and reflection among stakeholders, because the current state of the industry in Asia is the primary concern of the entire shrimp industry. Without farming, there cannot be any ancillary business and the whole value chain will shut down.
The startup sector has mainly focused on real-time monitoring, alternative feed ingredients, feeding technology and simplifying the marketplace but very few have looked for a new farming model. Our call to startups in shrimp farming is that when there are challenges, there are opportunities.”
The format for TARS has been evolving to suit the needs of industry and provide a more interactive experience. TARS 2025 will present trends and knowledge exchange through technical and panel sessions in the following areas:
- State of Supply and Demand
- Precision Farming and Gap Analyses
- A New Model and Building Sustainable Asian Shrimp
- Disease Mitigation for Higher Productivity
- Technology and Innovations
- Marketing, Branding and Sustainability
- Future Proofing with the Next Generation
Interactive Roundtable Breakout Sessions
Participants at the TARS 2025 Interactive Roundtable Breakout Sessions will dive into Future Proofing: Precision Shrimp Aquaculture and the New Deal. There will be three groups: Genetics, Hatchery & Farming (GHF); Nutrition, Feeds & Feeding (NFF); Processing, Marketing & Branding (PMB).
TARS’s unique proposition is this interactive breakout session where all participants have a voice. This has been the forte at TARS, to get stakeholders as a group, to build possible solutions from the ground up. The last TARS on Shrimp Aquaculture in 2023, was very successful with stakeholders discussing the regeneration of this industry
“The new highly interactive format attracted more participation from the farming and hatchery segments,” added Merican. “We limit participation to 250 to facilitate networking and attendee engagement.”
Next generation in shrimp aquaculture
Since the 2018 shrimp aquaculture series, we have made it a point to involve and nurture the next generation of shrimp farmers and entrepreneurs. The future of the shrimp aquaculture rests on them. At TARS 2025, the program will encourage more participation from this group.
Sponsorship opportunities
In 2011, TARS began with this mission: Stakeholders working together to drive the next phase of its growth and set the future direction for the industry. The objective is to equip all stakeholders with knowledge to manage critical issues and ensure a sustainable aquaculture industry for the next generation. With this endeavour, TARS needs the support of sponsors as partners to guide Asia’s shrimp aquaculture towards a responsible and sustainable industry.
TARS 2025 gathers target customers in one place to connect and network with participants from across the Asia Pacific region and for new players in shrimp aquaculture, presenting an opportunity to make inroads into Asia. Contact Zuridah Merican for more details and to discuss your participation in TARS 2025.
Seat are limited to 250 participants. Register now for the early bird rate and book your seat! Visit www.tarsaquaculture.com
