July 10, 2017

Skretting to build state-of-art shrimp feed plant in Ecuador

Aquaculture feed maker Skretting is set to build a new state-of-the-art shrimp-feed mill worth US$65 million in Duran, Ecuador.

The facility will have an annual capacity of 470,000 tonnes of feed, Skretting said, adding that construction is scheduled for completion in 2019. 

Ecuador is one of the world's leading shrimp producers with an increasing export trade to many key markets including the US, Asia and Europe. 

"We were the first company to provide Ecuador with an aquaculture-specific feed plant. Alongside this industry commitment, Skretting has also benefitted from more than 25 years of health and nutrition research and development and is working closely with many of the country's shrimp farmers, which has given us invaluable local insight into the market's particular needs and ambitions", said Carlos Miranda, general manager of Skretting Ecuador.

He said the new plant comes at the ideal time for the country's booming shrimp farming industry, which continues to capitalise on the unprecedented demand for high-quality, responsibly produced shrimp products.  

The 3.5-hectare plant will be constructed in phases-incorporating the latest technological and environmental advancements-that will gradually scale up Skretting Ecuador's shrimp feed production. The first phase is expected to be finished within the first half of 2018.

The facility, the Nutreco-owned company said, will ensure that Skretting can continue to meet the fast-growing demand in both Ecuador and Peru for premium-quality shrimp feeds.

Miranda said that farmed shrimp is Ecuador's second-largest non-oil export and plays a vital role in the country's economy. "The increasing professionalism of the industry is mirrored by the steady rise in its demand for higher quality feeds and the introduction of new, automated feeding system technologies that Skretting is promoting in Ecuador and its export markets".