July 26, 2012
BioMar and AquaChile open new US$15 million tilapia feed plant
BioMar and AquaChile-owned Grupo ACI have commenced operations for a sophisticated tilapia feed plant.
This first plant of Aquaculture Concentrate in Costa Rica is focused on tropical and subtropical species, both of freshwater and marine specimens.
It is expected that this facility, considered as the most modern in Central America, reactivates employment in the area and contributes to the transfer of knowledge and technology.
BioMar and AquaChile executives feel confident they will set Costa Rica at the forefront of the production of this type of food in the region.
"The opening of this plant is part of the internationalisation process of Empresas AquaChile and of sharing the knowledge we have successfully developed in Chile on the salmon industry in other parts of the world," said Alfonso M？？rquez de la Plata, general manager of the Chilean firm.
Meanwhile, Felipe Ureta, vice president of BioMar, said the start of production in this province is key to generate jobs and develop a productive linkage with local suppliers of raw materials.
"We produce feed for tilapia, which is a local very high value-added product for the market, since by means of technology and of environmentally friendly processes, we can provide a premium product," pointed out the entrepreneur of BioMar.
"One of the strengths that our company internationally has, which will be implemented in Costa Rica is research and development as part of the project, providing knowledge transfer to our country from countries with aquaculture tradition," stressed Ureta.
What is produced in this aquaculture plant will be exported to the central and to the southern regions.
"The processes will be aligned under strict internal rules as the high standards that are typical of Grupo BioMar will be implemented for the plant and for production, where international certifications will also be complied," the company stated in a press release.
The main business areas of BioMar are feed for trout and for Atlantic and Pacific salmon in Chile, Norway and the UK; for freshwater trout, sea bass and sea bream in the rest of Europe; and for tilapia and marine species in Central America.
Meanwhile, Grupo ACI is a corporation engaged in producing, processing and marketing tilapia.