The importance of data management for decision making

Smart Decision-Making: The Power of Data Management in Modern Aquaculture

For us shrimp farmers here in Ceará and throughout the Northeast, the routine is intense. Monitoring ponds, feeding the animals, taking care of water quality… there are so many tasks that sometimes we wonder how to handle everything and still make the best decisions for our business. This is where a crucial and often overlooked point comes in: data management.

It might seem like something far removed from our daily lives at the edge of the pond, but the truth is that every note about water temperature, feed quantity, and shrimp growth is a piece of a very important puzzle. Organizing and analyzing this data is what allows us to go beyond intuition and make more assertive decisions that truly impact the productivity and profitability of our farm.

What Does Data Management in Aquaculture Mean in Practice?

Data management in aquaculture ranges from the simple act of recording information in an organized way to using tools to analyze this data and identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement. It means having a complete history of our production, from stocking to harvest, and using that history to optimize every stage of the process.

For example, by regularly recording the average weight of the shrimp and the amount of feed consumed, we can calculate the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and identify if we are using feed efficiently. If the FCR is high, it could be a sign that we need to adjust feeding, check feed quality, or even investigate possible health problems in the animals. Without this organized data, we are just guessing.

Despesca: Your Ally in Data Management and Decision-Making

It is in this context that tools like Despesca become indispensable. Designed by producers for producers, Despesca facilitates the collection, storage, and analysis of all relevant data from our production. Imagine having all the information about your ponds, your shrimp batches, and your production costs all in one place, accessible from any device.

With Despesca, we can record data on water quality (pH, oxygen, temperature, etc.), feed management (quantity and type of feed), animal growth, sanitary occurrences, and many other important indicators. The system organizes this information intuitively, generating reports and graphs that help us visualize our farm’s performance clearly and objectively.

Making Strategic Decisions Based on Real Data

With organized data and Despesca’s analyses in hand, decision-making becomes much more secure and efficient. We can compare the performance of different batches, from different times of the year, and identify the best management practices for our specific reality.

For example, if we notice that a certain type of feed, at a certain growth stage, leads to better weight gain and a lower FCR, this information helps us optimize our feeding costs. Similarly, by analyzing the history of sanitary occurrences, we can identify periods of higher risk and implement more effective preventive measures.

Furthermore, data management allows us to have a clear view of our production costs, from buying post-larvae to harvesting. With this detailed information, we can calculate the cost per kilo of shrimp produced, identify the main financial bottlenecks, and adjust our strategy to increase the farm’s profitability.

The Future of Aquaculture Involves Smart Data Management

In an increasingly competitive market, the ability to make quick and data-driven decisions is a crucial differentiator. Intuition remains important, but combined with data analysis, it becomes much more powerful. Tools like Despesca are here to help us on this journey, making the management of our production easier and giving us the necessary control to face the challenges and seize the opportunities in the aquaculture market.

Therefore, if you are looking to increase productivity, reduce costs, and ensure the sustainability of your shrimp farming business here in our beloved Ceará, data management is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. And Despesca can be your great ally in this endeavor. How about you start turning your farm’s data into concrete results?