Aquaculture Business Short Course
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC), Sea Grant and Purdue Extension host a short course on Aquaculture Business: Practical Skills for Managing Farm Finances.
The program length is 1.5 days and you can use the registration form to sign up.
Keeping on top of your farm finances can be a daunting task, but knowing what numbers to track, what the numbers mean, when to spend, and when to save can be critical for the long term health of your aquaculture businesses finances. This business short course will provide you with an overview of practical information for managing your farms finances, hands on learning, and one-on-one time with an expert. Participants need to bring a laptop and farm numbers if possible. Space is limited. Seats will be reserved on a first come first serve basis. All participants will receive a hardcopy of Aquaculture Businesses: A Practical Guide to Economics and Marketing by Carole Engle (valued at $120+).
Meet the Instructors
Ganesh Kumar, Aquaculture Economist, Mississippi State University
Dr. Kumar is an aquaculture economist with research and Extension experience in production economics, farm management, operations research, consumer behavior, behavioral economics, and policy issues primarily related to the aquaculture industry. On the production side, his work focuses on topics such as cost efficiencies, technology adoption, risk modelling, and production optimization. On the marketing side Dr. Kumar has investigated various factors affecting seafood choices. On the policy side, his concentration is on economic impact assessment, impact of regulations on aquaculture, health economics, and other applied research pertaining to aquaculture production and marketing.
Matt Parker, Aquaculture Business Specialist, University of Maryland Extension
Dr. Matt Parker is the Aquaculture Business Specialist with University of Maryland Extension. He received his B.S. (Fisheries Science) from North Carolina State University in 1997, with a Master of Aquaculture (2001) and MBA (2002) from Auburn University. He completed his Ph.D in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland in 2019 focusing on the effects of debt financing on Maryland Oyster Aquaculture Farm Profitability. Prior to joining University of Maryland Extension in 2011, Matt was an Aquaculture Business Specialist with the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services from 2003-2010. Matt has spent his career educating aquaculture producers about the need for proper business planning and assisting them in writing business plans and finding financing. He was recruited to provide aquaculture business planning instruction for the Myanmar Fisheries Federation as part of the USAID Farmer 2 Farmer program during the summers of 2014 and 2015. Matt’s current projects include robotics to improve shellfish aquaculture production, shellfish aquaculture financial benchmarking, developing online tools to aid with shellfish aquaculture business planning, striped bass aquaculture economics, assessing the economic impact of the US aquaculture industry, and providing one-on-one shellfish aquaculture business planning guidance to those currently operating and those interested in starting a shellfish aquaculture business. Matt is a Past-President and former Sec/Treasurer of the US Aquaculture Society. Matt is the current Treasurer for the World Aquaculture Society.
Kwamena Quagrainie, Aquaculture Economist & Marketing Specialist, Purdue University
Dr. Kwamena Quagrainie is an Aquaculture Economist & Marketing Specialist at Purdue University. His research focuses on market analysis, market definition, identification of value-added opportunities for aquaculture products, and the economic viability of aquaculture farming enterprises. Dr. Quagrainie works with the aquaculture industries in Illinois and Indiana, aquaculture producers, aquaculture associations, distributors, restaurants, and consumers to develop viable markets for Indiana and Illinois farm-raised aquaculture products.
Guest Presenter Michael Langemeier, Associate Director, Center for Commercial Agriculture and Professor, Purdue University
Michael is the Director of Cropping Systems for the Center for Commercial Agriculture in the Department of Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University. Michael’s extension and research interests include agricultural finance, cost of production, leasing principles, and transition planning. Michael teaches courses in farm financial management and tax planning strategies.
For questions contact Amy Shambach by email (ashambac@purdue.edu) or phone (317-237-0511) and view the Aquaculture Business Short Course flyer for more information.
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