Aquaculture Is Growing
GEORGE F.W. HAENLEIN '
Extension Dairy Specialist
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. Most of the
income on die dairy farm comes
from the sale of milk and, on some
farms, the sale of dairy products
cheese, yogurt, cream and but
ter.
The latter is especially true for a
large number of U.S. dairy goat
farmers and the newly emerging
U.S. dairy sheep farmer.
In some parts of the world
France, Italy, Spain, Greece and
Norway, for example dairy
goats and sheep historically have
had great economic importance,
even mere than dairy cows.
In fact, in recent years this busi
ness has increased in volume and
importance as an alternative survi
val enterprise in response to the
crippling effects of die cow milk
quota system.
Thank God our country has
been wise enough to stay clear of a
milk quota system. However,
when milk prices are as tow as
they have been recently—too tow
for some farmers to survive we
think about alternatives.
Selling cows, heifers, calves,
bulls, semen and ova for breeding
purposes has been profitable for
some dairy farmers, but not the
majority. And selling cull cows,
dairy steers and veal calves has al
iM |i|
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ways been subject to market price
fluctuations.
The variations are due, in part,
to ups and downs in the meat mar
ket and to media influences
against certain kinds of meat
Nevertheless, over the years,
the dairy business has been more
stable than the beef, grain, sheep
and seafood industries.
Horror stories of overfishing
and diseases of fish and oysters
that threaten the livelihoods of
those who fish the sea or bays, like
here on the Chesapeake, make us
thankful by comparison for the
lesser problems in the dairy indus
try.
Yet these people can survive, if
they accept more drastic changes
than the dairy business has had to
go through recendy. Instead of
going to sea or trolling the rivers
and bay. they can become farmers
aquaculture farmers as
many already have.
In the last 20 years, aquaculture
has grown from non-existence in
this country into a very respect
able industry.
Under today’s economic
squeeze, some dairy farmers also
have ventured into aquaculture,
because it is reassuring to know
that there is no quota and no sur
plus, prices are good and, appar
ently, there is tremendous poten-
tial for market growth.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not
advocating this venture, or any
venture, away from my dear dairy
business.
However, you may have read
about recent debates on milk mar
ket prices, that the “Compact”
idea for better prices in New York
State was defeated by more pow
erful city politics.
Also, modernization or enlarge
ment for greater efficiencies
means going more into debt per
cow if the farmgate milk price is
insufficient.
I only want to discuss some par
allels with other farming business
es and their potential as alterna
tives.
When I opened the last issue of
the excellent agribusiness maga
zine “Feedstuffs” from June 29,
1998, volume 70, issue 26,1 saw
many interesting articles on aqua
culture.
This weekly magazine helps us
understand market dynamics (in
cluding the dairy business in the
short and long term), technical
articles for better nutrition and
feed formulation, and news about
supplements, vitamins and miner
als.
So what is happening with
aquaculture and why should dairy
farmers be concerned?
Of course, aquaculture will af
fect sales of veal, dairy beef and
even cull cows, because aquacul
ture produces a highly competitive
“meat,” at a very efficient feed-to
food conversion rate even bet
ter than broiler production.
Pond-raised fish is a highly de
sirable protein from both the con
sumer and human nutrition stand
point, and it is cheaper to produce
than catch.
Fish is cheaper to produce than
veal on the dairy farm, which is
die only other truly “white meat”
competing with chicken.
Aquaculture has its roots in
China, dating back 4.000 years.
The dairy industry, on the other
hand, is still in its infancy there, as
I personally observed two years
ago.
While you can find imprated
dairy foods in some Chinese
stores and restaurants, you would
have a hard time finding milking
cows or goats. This makes the po
tential market in China a tremend
ous opportunity for imports from
the United States.
Aquaculture, however, is big in
China. Fresh water fish such as
carp were produced there at
900,000 tons/year in the 1980 s,
but by 1996, this amount had in
creased tenfold to 11 million tons.
The number is expected to double
once again in the next 10 years.
This tonnage compares to the
total world sea capture of 100 mil
lion tons, which was reached in
1990 and appears to be leveling
off or decreasing since.
The first trout farms in the
United States were established in
1871. but commercial aquaculture
in this country began in the 1960 s
starting in the South with the
catfish and expanding rapidly to
other species.
University of Arkansas re
search has shown that new carp
products are as acceptable, or bet
ter than, tuna products. Soon we
may see carp on our store shelves.
Even alligator farming is now
part of aquaculture in Florida,
where more than 30 farms pro
duce 300,000 pounds meat/year
and 15,000 skins with faimgate
prices of $5 to $7/pound meat and
$25/skin, and a projected market
demand for 2 million skins by the
year 2000.
In Alabama, existing ponds
(about 17,000 acres) are used for
catfish farming as a supplemental
income by some 130* producers,
yielding more than $500,000 wor
th of fish/year, and an increase to
135,000 acres of potential ponds is
expected.
In Maine, it is coastal aquacul
ture, which produces $43 million
worth of fish, clams, oysters and
In Good
Growing Season
(Continued from Page A3B)
In 1994, a brutal cold early in the year destroy
ed fruit buds. The peach crop was diminished,
but the growers reported a fair apple crop. Peach
es are far more sensitive to cold than apples.
Overall, 1995 was a “really good year for us,"
Scholl noted. “We had a consistent apple crop."
In 1996 a frost damaged some of the peach and
nectarine blossoms. However, 1998 was a “good
year," he noted. There was too much rain in June
and not enough-in July, but overall “the size of
the crop has been good and the quality has stood
out,” he noted. Dry, sunny weather improves the
sugar content of fruit.
George Scholl works full-time as a claims
investigator for an insurance company and main
tains the trees. Faith, his wife, runs the farm
market, dealing with the customers.
“Actual tree work to me is therapy,” George
said.
Faith noted that the whole family is involved
in thinning the peaches and apples and caring for
the trees.
Sometimes, “people don’t understand all the
work that goes into getting nice fruit,*' said
George. That includes all the planting, fertiliza
tion, cultivation, and pruning.
Those who help on the orchard include the
Scholl brothers, Jacob, 16, a sophomore at Free
dom High School and Ben, 19, a business student
at Elizabethtown College. Two daughters help
when they can, including Martha, 23, a graduate
of Moravia College who works full-time as a
graphic artist, and Emily, 21, a student at North
ampton Community College who is an intern at
Disneyworld in Florida.
The orchard also has help from George’s
nephew, David Brackenbury, 20, a student at
Community College of Vermont Part-time work
is also provided by Betty Jaxheimcr, George’s
aunt, who lives nearby and helps out at the farm
market.
Scholl understands ways to make a farm mark
et successful. ,
“That's the beauty of the business,” he said.
“People come here and they can tic your face to
what you’re growing and selling. In the super
market, people don’t always know where the
fruit and vegetables are grown n Largc amounts of
produce are grown outside of the United States.
They enjoy working directly with a grower that
they know.” She Scholl customer base has been
increased by word of mouth.
With the limited amount of time and space,
“we are comfortable where we are,” said Scholl,
noting the fact the orchard is into its fourth gener
ation. “We intend to keep this as a family busi
ness, one generation to the next”
(Turn to Page A 46)