“In spite of the crisis we are not so bad. Our products are perishable, but we depend on logistics and our market. We count on the best logistics and we rely on the conduct of the foreign and domestic buyer,” the vice-president of the company, Israel Snir told Fis.com.
Aquafinca managers had forecast that tilapia exports would grow between 20 per cent and 30 per cent this year, but this was not the case.
“We maintained ourselves, but we did not lose,” Mr Snir commented.
“In spite of everything, we invested USD 4 million in different procedures to make processes more effective and in a freezing plant. We know that this was a long-term investment and we will recover it in some years,” the executive indicated.
In addition, he disclosed that their plans include new investments.
“I don’t yet have the amount, but I am thinking of buying a plant to produce tilapia-skin gelatine with a view to exporting. We are selling tilapia scales in Japan to make hair gel and with this we would avoid that and sell the already finished product from Honduras,” he said.
“We also exported tilapia and part of the skin that is used to manufacture cosmetics to Europe,” he added.
At this time, two basic presentations are sent to the American market: a fresh product, of which the majority goes to airplanes, and frozen product, Snir explained.
“The advantage of this product is that it is made without preservatives,” Mr Snir emphasised.
Upon being consulted on company results this year, the executive told Fis.com: “In November alone, we will close with 1.4 million pounds of fillet launched around the world, and nearly 17 million pounds in total throughout the year.”
Finally, he stressed that Aquafinca was not forced to lay off workers.“We are keeping the 1,600 job posts. The most important part is labour stability; furthermore, we continue recruiting people from the rural areas where we are established, from the nearby villages to near Borboton and Rio Lindo in San Francisco de Yojoa. Last weekend we hired 80 people to occupy new positions in the freezing plant,” he asserted.
Tilapia-Skin Gelatine Next for Aquafinca
HONDURAS - Aquafinca Saint Peter Fish, the leading tilapia producer of Honduras, forcasts a 12 per cent business growth for 2010, in spite of having faced serious consequences due to the sector crisis and the fall in exports.
