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| Sunday, 16 November 2003 |
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Joint venture to produce seafood delicacy Tess Agro Ltd has formed a joint venture with Aqua Systems of New Zealand to develop and produce Abalone, a type of sea snail, in Sri Lanka. The joint venture company, AquaTess, will promote the development of a land-based modular aquaculture farm using recirculation technology. Abalone is a highly desired seafood, sold mainly in South East Asian markets, said Director, Tess Group, Dilshan Fernando. "This is the first time a company in Sri Lanka is venturing out to develop Abalone in the country. It will help us to earn foreign exchange to the island," he said. Fernando said that in countries such as Japan, Thailand and Korea, Abalone is a highly sought after product. It can be sold at US$ 30-40 a kilo, and could be a good replacement for the local prawn cultivation. The production cost is lower than that of prawn cultivation. Most importantly, Abalone is disease resistant; therefore, it is a very viable option, said Fernando. According to him, the company is in the process of setting up a hatchery in Pamunugama, Ja-ela at a cost of Rs 60 million to introduce, promote and develop recirculation technology to conduct land-based aquaculture production. The company will also use its expertise in the outgrower system that is being implemented in the agricultural produce to aquaculture farming by setting up a central hatchery and providing spat and inviting other farms to join them as outgrower farmers to produce live Abalone for the global export market, he added. The company encourages farmers to use local aquaculture tanks to grow their produce, which the company will buy, he added. Abalone is a highly desired seafood and has been used as a shell ornament since prehistoric times. It will be a good foreign exchange spinner for Sri Lanka in the future, he added. Close to 90 different species of these herbivorous marine gastropods are found on the rocky coastal line of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Intense fishing pressure has resulted in a dramatic decline in natural Abalone populations worldwide; giving impetus to such programmes will enhance aquaculture in Sri Lanka. Tess Agro, the operator of Sri Lanka's first cold chain and the number one exporter of fruits, vegetables and fish to Europe, was incorporated in 1992 and is approved under the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and enjoys a 15-year tax holiday. Fernando said: "The company was established to cater to the pressing needs of farmers in the Mahaweli System B area to have a central place to sell their produce so that the produce could reach markets in the best condition, resulting in the farmers receiving the best price". (HS) |
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