The NSW Aquaculture Association with major sponsorship by the Griffith Ex Servicemen’s Club is holding a yabby & fish farming field day at Griffith NSW on the 13th and 14th of March, 2015. This aquaculture information event is designed to increase the awareness of the potential of yabby, fish or aquaponics to increase the value of existing water and rural farm incomes.

We will be covering a wide range of subjects from extensive to intensive yabby and fish farming or integrated aquaculture with plant production. Our focus is to give you the information you need to increase your farms income by increasing the value of existing water from irrigation/farm dams or irrigation channels and the available water. In mixed farming situations, risk spreading strategies such as diversification outside the traditional commodity mixes, can enhance economic stability. Whether you’re running sheep or growing rice you need water, increasing the value of your existing water and farm incomes is the focus of this field day. Methods and licences required for extensive farming, intensive farming and class “E” multi-site harvesting will all be covered.

The day will be MC’s by local NSW Aquaculture Association member and local yabby harvester John Townsend. Additionally, John will talk on “Underutilized farm resources in the area from an aquaculture perspective”. John will also join the other speakers in discussing markets and potential.

Farm dam harvest can naturally produce 400-650kgs of yabbies/ha/year and purpose built extensive yabby ponds can produce up to 800kgs/ha/year, with intensive yabby farming is special ponds being able to produce up to 2500kgs/ha/year. All aspects of yabby farming will be covered with two talks by Rob McCormack one of Australia’s foremost experts on commercial yabby farming – covering everything from the different methods, equipment required, harvesting and production. Plus he will discuss Class E yabby harvesting, showing how to harvest, store, purge, pack and sell the catch.

Paul Van der Werf one of Australia’s foremost experts on integrated aquaculture will talk on recirculating aquaculture systems and growing fish in high densities in tanks. Plus, integrating your aquaculture production to provide a nutrient source for plants, and aquaponic principles and methods.

Farm dams and irrigation channels are also perfect for Golden Perch and Murray Cod production. If you have irrigation dams storing water ready for placement onto a crop then intensive cage culture of Murray Cod may be a viable option. Irrigation dams are perfect for intensive cage culture of fish such as Murray Cod. Matt Ryan a local Murray Cod Farmer will talk on the intensive culture of Murray Cod in cages within his irrigation dams. Additionally, we will visit Matt’s facility on day two as part of our farm tours to see how he does it and how you too can do it.

Graeme Bowley, our NSW DPI Fisheries Aquaculture Policy Officer will discuss the governmental requirements for getting started in the aquaculture industry and be there to answer any and all questions you may have.

We will discuss the markets and demand for the product both domestically and internationally, advising of the different markets for different sized products and the current market prices.

Day 1 is an information day with an Event Dinner that night. Day 2 is farm tours to see how others are doing it. Join us to learn all you need to know, we will be visiting.

Silverwater Native Fish – A commercial aquaculture facility and fish hatchery growing Murray Cod, Golden and Silver Perch.

Narrandera Fisheries Centre – Opened in 1962 as a research centre to study the breeding biology and ecology of inland aquatic systems. Since then, NFC has been the centre of inland freshwater fisheries research in NSW, and has also developed into a productive hatchery, providing fingerlings of Murray cod, Trout cod, Golden perch and Silver perch, to improve freshwater recreational fisheries and conservation initiatives.

Riverina Aquaculture, as part of Murray Gold Cooperative – An intensive high density aquaculture operation, culturing Murray Cod in floating cages within an irrigation dam.

GAP Farm Management Pty Ltd – A local grape grower diversifying cropping grape, cherry, pumpkin, wheat, barley, with crayfish in the on-farm water storage. Joe’s pulling out 30 hectare grapes after harvest what are his alternatives – aquaculture or different grape varieties.

To download a copy of the EVENT PROGRAM click here

This event is now closed for registration.