Denmark-based sustainable aquaculture firm BioMar Group is expanding its feed capacity this year with a second plant in China and expanded capacity at its Norway facility.
In addition, the supplier is planning a EUR 38 million (USD 41 million) to EUR 40 million (USD 43 million) feed factory in Australia. The new plant will have an annual capacity of 110,000 tons
“In 2016, we opened a factory in Turkey and this year we will be ready with our second factory in China as well as with expanded capacity in Norway,” BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz said. “In 2019, we aim to open a feed factory in Australia supported by our established factories, technical experts and global R&D department.”
BioMar is selling the highest volumes of sustainable aquaculture feed to Norway and Chile,
Sif Rishoej, director of global human resources and corporate communication at BioMar, told SeafoodSource.
“We are seeing an increasing demand from customers in regards to sustainable and high-performing products,” she said.
In addition, BioMar is delivering an increasing volume of feed to the Australian market from its factories in Chile and Scotland. With the new Australia plant, BioMar’s aim is “to be able to serve the customers, being locally agile with a solid foundation of global product development and technical experience within species such as salmon, trout and yellowtail king fish,” the company said in a statement.
“I am confident that our approach of balancing local agility and global excellence will give us a solid position in Australasia,” Diaz said. “We have already established very successful cooperation with key customers and we are looking forward to working with a broader base of customers developing the aquaculture industry in Australia and New Zealand.”
In related news, BioMar’s feed factory in Duenas, Spain is now approved for delivering feed according to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards for responsible production of freshwater trout.
“We believe the ASC logo will become the most important logo for responsibly farmed aquaculture products in the years to come. It has a broad global coverage and a strong support from both NGO’s, retailers, and the aquaculture industry,” said François Loubère, managing director for the BioMar factories in Spain and France.
Dueñas is now the second factory within the BioMar Group to obtain ASC certification, after its Denmark plant passed the ASC audit in 2013.
