February 22, 2012

Beginning this year, Malaysia's Blue Archipelago will be expanding its export of seafood products to the EU market.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Abu Bakar Ibrahim, said this follows the approval received in November last year by the Kuala Kerpan shrimp farm (iKERPAN) run by the company's unit in Kedah, Arca Biru Sdn Bhd, to export seafood products to EU.

"Obtaining the certification has opened up more opportunities for the company to expand its processed prawns market to Europe, besides its existing export market in Japan and the US," he said when met here Monday (Feb 20).

Abu Bakar also did not discount the possibility of starting the export much earlier, through the company's shrimp farm in Kampung Nyatoh.

Currently, 80% of prawns produced at the iKERPAN are exported to Japan, while the remaining 20% is for the US, Canada, Middle East and the domestic market, he said.

He said the approval to Blue Archipelago for the export of their cultivated and processed prawns also proved that the company was able to meet the EU's stringent food standards requirements. He said the company also expected the EU market to become a leading market for its shrimps produce in the long run.

Abu Bakar said his company was currently also negotiating with several clients from EU to introduce a seafood product produced by the company and that the EU companies had shown great interest.

He disclosed that Blue Archipelago also planned to join in the visit to the European Sea Food Exhibition scheduled for this April, together with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia. The event provides a suitable landscape for the introduction of white prawns' products, he said.