March 27, 2006

Peru's January fishmeal output up 19 percent on-year

Peru's fish meal production gained 19 percent to 59,000 tonnes in January 2006 compared with the same month a year earlier when fishmeal production was 49,600 tonnes, the Ministry of Production said Friday (Mar 24).

The anchovy haul, used to make fishmeal, reached 258,900 tonnes in January, an 18.5 percent rise compared with the same month a year earlier.

Peru is the world's largest producer and exporter of fish meal, used chiefly as animal feed.

The total fish haul was 349,900 tonnes in January, up 13.3 percent compared with January 2005.

Meanwhile, Peru exported 182,400 tonnes of fishmeal in January, compared with 221,000 tonnes in the same month a year earlier.

Peru's overall fish exports brought in US$183 million in January, compared with US$151 million in the same month a year earlier.