Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) production is increasing, which will leaves substantial amounts of leftover excrement, called ‘frass’ that may be a beneficial organic fertilizer. In this study, sweetpotato (SP) (Ipomoea batatas) cuttings (‘slips’), were grown with BSFL frass as a one-time top dressing at either 333.7g/m² or 667.4g/m², respectively, or daily applications of either BSFL frass tea (225g in 3.78 L) or an inorganic fertilizer (control). The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium of the BSFL frass and inorganic fertilizer was 6.2-1.4-1.7 and 10-30-20, respectively. After three weeks, no significant difference in length, number of nodes and stem diameter were found in the 667 g/m² frass treatment versus control, while these values were significantly lowest in the frass tea treatment. Slip manganese and copper were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the control compared to the 333 and 667 g/m² frass treatments. Iron, copper, manganese, zinc and magnesium were significantly lower in slips from the tea treatment and was excluded from economical analysis due to minimal growth. Benefit-cost analysis showed the highest benefit-cost ratio was for the 333 and 667 g/m² frass treatments at 3.65 and 3.62, respectively, compared to the control at 3.48.

This study has examined consumers’ acceptance, preference, and willingness to pay (WTP) for five newly developed convenient (ready-to-cook) catfish products. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, in collaboration with Texas State University and USDA Agricultural Research Services, New Orleans, has developed these products. We have collected data from 121 catfish consumers of Arkansas through 18 experimental auction sessions (Vickrey’s second-price auction). Participants evaluated the products’ sensory attributes (appearance, color, glossiness, and serving size). They elicited their WTP for each of the products through bid (quoted price) in separate sealed envelopes. Consumers’ acceptance of various product attributes was measured using a hedonic scale (Likert scale) and just about right (JAR) scale. We have measured consumers’ preferences for the products and their attributes through two-way internal preference mapping (Principal Component Analysis) and three-way internal preference mapping (Parallel Factor Analysis—PARAFAC). We have examined the role of consumers’ acceptance level for product attributes and the participants’ socioeconomic characteristics on their WTP using the Tobit model. The study revealed that the acceptance level for panko-breaded products was higher than marinated products. Consumers preferred breaded products to marinated products. The WTP for a product was higher with the higher acceptance ratings for product attributes, young participants, and African–American catfish consumers. There was a negative relation between the participants’ education level (dummy for bachelor’s degree holders) and their WTP. The study concluded that all the newly developed catfish products are likely to be successful as future seafood products in the market.

Accurately measuring willingness-to-pay (WTP) for newly developed food products is critical for academicians and marketing managers. This study measures consumers’ preference and WTP for five newly developed convenient (ready-to-cook) catfish products by surveying 128 participants from Arkansas and Florida. An ordered probit model was applied to survey data to investigate factors influencing consumers’ WTP. Results indicated that the surveyed participants preferred all the inspected products as their WTP was ranged between average and high. The significant variables affecting the participants’ WTP include product appearance, eagerness to buy, preference ranking, preferred form, and consumption pattern. The consumer’s WTP was significantly correlated with the participant’s gender, age, race, and for some groups, income.

To increase the demand for U.S. farm-raised catfish, five healthy, convenient ready-to-cook products were developed to expand consumers’ options beyond basic fresh or frozen fillets. Five new catfish products were produced, consisting of one hundred samples of each, including three size-types of Panko-breaded fish products (strips, center cuts of regular fillets, and center cuts from Delacata fillets) and two marinated products (sriracha and sesame-ginger). The breaded products were to be prepared by baking for convenience over traditional frying methods, while the marinated products were to be microwaved as healthy and convenient products. The nutrient content of the samples was analyzed, including protein, moisture, fat, fiber, ash, and carbohydrate, as well as minerals, amino acid, and fatty acid constituent content, with associated atherogenic index (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI), showing unique differences between the Panko-breaded and marinated products. In addition, a trend was observed showing an increase in moisture, protein, ash, and carbohydrate percentages, and a decrease in lipid content related to the volume-to-surface-area ratio, having the order of strips < standard fillets < Delacata fillets.

This study analyzes the trends and determines the comparative advantage and competitiveness of India’s fish and fishery products trade in the world market and of India’s exports to 10 major destinations over the period of 2000–2021. We use the revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) index to quantify India’s comparative advantage in exporting fish and fishery products and the Vollrath index to measure the revealed competitiveness of the country’s fish and fishery products trade. We collected relevant data at Harmonized System (HS) four-digit level from the UN Commodity Trade (UN Comtrade) database. Our analysis shows that India has a revealed comparative advantage (RCA) in exporting fish and fishery products to the world market. Specifically, India has a comparative advantage in exporting frozen fish, crustaceans, and mollusks; but it has a comparative disadvantage in exporting live fish, fresh and chilled fish, fish fillets and other fish meat, and dried/salted/in-brine and smoked fish to the world market. In terms of individual destinations, India has RCA in exporting live fish to Hong Kong; fresh and chilled fish to UAE (in recent years); frozen fish to China, Hong Kong, Thailand (recent years), and Vietnam (recent years); fish fillets and other fish meat to Japan (recent years); dried fish to Hong Kong; crustaceans to Japan, the US, and Canada (recent years); mollusks to the EU, Thailand (recent years), and Vietnam (recent years); and other aquatic invertebrates to Vietnam. India has a comparative disadvantage (RCD) in exporting fresh and chilled fish to the EU, Japan, the US, and Vietnam, and fish fillet and other fish meat to the US, Canada, and Vietnam. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected India’s export, comparative advantage, and trade competitiveness of fish and fishery products. India’s RCA and competitiveness in exporting fish and fishery products decreased in 2018–2020, but the RCA and competitiveness increased by 2021.