In Rio Hondo, about 40 minutes north of Brownsville, Trans American Aquaculture last year announced plans to put its 1,880-acre shrimp farming facility, a defunct shrimp farm that has been used only as a research facility, into production. Adam Thomas, CEO of Trans American, is targeting H-E-B as a potential buyer of its products as production increases.
“Statewide, shrimp aquaculture has the capacity to double or triple in the next couple years,” he said. “Our production facility alone will be able to produce 10 million pounds soon.”
He emphasized the difference between domestic and international suppliers. “About 90% of shrimp in the United States is from foreign producers in Mexico, Indonesia and other countries, and there usually isn’t much transparency on how they’re raised. They use lots of antibiotics, and conditions can be really unhealthy.”
“That’s why domestic shrimp are a little more expensive, usually about a dollar more per pound. Even then, if they’re wild caught from the Gulf or Atlantic, they can have serious environmental impacts. We take pride in not discharging any uncleaned water into the ocean, and we use no antibiotics. Transparency is extremely important to us.”
While facilities like Trans American’s operate near the coast, others are moving further inland thanks to the emergence of new solutions to the biggest problems farmers face: keeping the water in which the shrimp live clean enough for a healthy growing environment.
Bullish
