December 5, 2018
BioMar Group has decided to invest in additional capacity for making extruded shrimp feed at its factory in Ecuador, in order to accommodate the growth in volumes sold.
The extrusion line creates the foundation for the development of new product ranges and is expected to be ready early 2020, the company said.
BioMar also announced further investments in the factory. A new extrusion line will add approximately 40,000 tonnes of capacity and is expected to enter operation in Q1 2020, just one year after the latest capacity expansion, which is due in Q1 2019.
"We have experienced a strong growth in Ecuador since the acquisition of Alimentsa in 2017 and we currently operate at our capacity limit. For our customers, the new line will mean increased flexibility and increased choice, as it will significantly expand our capacity for extruded and value added feed solutions," Henrik Aarestrup (pictured, right), BioMar's vice president for emerging markets, said.
Shrimp production in Ecuador has been growing with double digits in 2018 placing Ecuador as the third largest shrimp producing nation in the world.
"The Ecuadorian shrimp sector will continue to grow in the coming years, however at a somewhat slower pace than in 2018, where we have seen an exceptionally high growth. Ecuador has a competitive edge when it comes to producing shrimp in a responsible manner with high focus on both sustainability and product quality. Recent initiatives like the launch of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership will further enhance this position", Aarestrup added.
The investment is part of BioMar's strategic plan for the shrimp business, which also includes a recently inaugurated research and trial unit in connection with the plant in Ecuador.
Apart from the shrimp feed business in Ecuador, BioMar currently produces extruded shrimp feed in Asia and Central America, in addition to support production for Central America and Ecuador from BioMar's factories in Chile.
Larval diets for shrimp are distributed worldwide under the LARVIVA brand from BioMar's French production site.
- BioMar
