November 2, 2006

China's Hainan to expand tilapia production

Hainan island produced 146,000 tonnes of tilapia last year, of which 22,000 tonnes were exported, making it the largest export commodity of the province, the province's Department of Marine and Fisheries said.  

The exports brought in a revenue of US$63 million for the province.

The department has also produced a blueprint to industrialise Hainan's tilapia industry. The department plans to expand cultivation area almost 50 percent to 2,948 hectares by 2010 and double production to 300,000 tonnes. The department hopes to process and export 80,000 tonnes by then, making Hainan the top tilapia production region in China.