Company Exports More Farmed Prawns To Europe

Aquapesca, a Mozambican aquaculture company based in Inhassunge district, in the central province of Zambezia, exported about 600 tonnes of tiger prawns last year to the European market, including Spain, Portugal and France.

Citing Beira daily paper, Diario de Mocambique, All Africa reports François Grosse, operations director of the company, saying that the amount of farmed prawns exported in 2010 matches the average since the company began to market prawns on the international market in 2005.

Mr Grosse explained that the production of prawns at Aquapesca is done with a certification from an international organization linked to this activity and that the company is gearing up to export the same amount in 2011 to Europe where, he noted, "It has a great deal of acceptance".

"The company's great dream is to reach production of 800 to 1,000 tonnes of prawns a year", he said.

Achievement of that dream, Mr Grosse said, involves improved breeding of prawns in Nacala in the northern province of Nampula, which is currently equipped with six tanks, including other essential infrastructure for this type of activity.

The breeding tanks in Nacala have the potential to breed 25 million prawns, which are then transported in boxes to the existing Inhassunge basins, where they stay during the growth period.

In all, 52 such basins have been built for the growth of prawns, covering an area of 350 hectares. Each basin has the capacity to store 700,000 prawns, according to All Africa.

With a workforce of 550 workers, mostly Mozambicans, linked to areas of prawn farming, treatment and processing, Aquapesca plans to expand its market in 2011 to the United States.