Human nutrition firm Alianza Team has hired Cesar Pinzon, executive director of Colombia aquaculture producers' trade association Fedacua, as business development manager to spearhead the company's plan to move into the aquafeed business.
Alianza Team plans to put much of its initial effort into producing salmon and trout feed for the Chilean market but is also planning to produce and market feed for tilapia, trout and native Columbian species.
Bogata-based Pinzon spent three years overseeing Colombia's aquaculture industry.
"It was a cycle that I completed. [I'm] leaving for a great challenge to work and develop cutting-edge technology for aquaculture nutrition," Pinzon told IntraFish.
Among the challenges he faced was having to contend with a deadly bacterial disease problem that cost the tilapia sector 6 percent of it production last year.
Pinzon was attracted to the new role by the opportunity to apply the company's know-how and experience in human nutrition to aquaculture.
"It's a very big challenge with very large opportunities for growth," Pinzon added.
Alianza Team's main headquarters sits in the capital Bogota, with plants in the Colombian cities of Barraquilla and Buga.
It has a research center in the United States, in addition to plants in Mexico and Chile specializing in optimizing raw materials through lipid oils.
Executives are also eyeing markets in Europe and Brazil, where tilapia production reached a record 579,080 metric tons last year.
To kick off its aquaculture activities, Alianza is beginning work towards offering higher quality oils and adapters for feed pellets, tailoring products to individual client needs.
