China, the world's leading tilapia producer, announced recently that it expects to produce 1.2 million metric tons of tilapia by 2010, nearly half of the amount predicted by the American Tilapia Association, according to China's Ministry of Agriculture.
China currently accounts for half of global tilapia production, while Asia, including China, grows roughly 75 percent of the world's tilapia. The country's production rate took a major hit in 2008 due to a harsh winter in the south, where 50 percent of the country's tilapia farms are located.
With the expansion of tilapia production, China aims to export USD 460 million (EUR 360 million) worth of tilapia by 2010.
China also plans to improve technology in eastern coastal cities, including a planned R&D facility for researching disease prevention, high-quality feed and ecologically friendly cultivation methods.
As the demand for tilapia continues to grow worldwide, production is expected to reach 3 million metric tons worldwide by 2010, compared to 2.6 million metric tons in 2007, according to the American Tilapia Association.
