China can solve its aquaculture problems, like over production and poor quality, in one sweep by rolling out solar panels, according to one of China’s most respected agricultural analysts.
Aquaculture farmers can treble their earnings by installing solar panels and selling electricity to the grid, according to Wu Yong, CEO of Tuliu Wang, a consultancy and online portal tracking the trade in China’s farmland. He has calculated that each mu – there are 15 mu in a hectare – is worth CNY 60,000 (USD 9,011, EUR 7,995) per year to a farmer who installs solar panels over and alongside fish tanks and ponds. The earnings from electricity will reduce a traditional trend among aquaculture firms to increase volumes in order to undercut competitors’ prices.
Wu Yong isn’t the only one advocating solar power for the aquaculture sector – the Tongwei Group, a major supplier of aquafeed and a tilapia producer, has established a subsidiary tailoring solar installations for aquaculture and agriculture.
