Amersfoort, The Netherlands-based animal nutrition company Nutreco will take full ownership of Indian aquaculture technology firm Eruvaka, it said on 30 June.
Nutreco previously purchased a 25 percent stake in Eruvaka in 2018. The company did not announce the price of the acquisition.
“I am delighted that Nutreco is taking full ownership of Eruvaka. Our purpose of ‘Feeding the Future’ drives us to invest in innovative technologies that improve the sustainability of our food supply chain. This investment demonstrates our commitment to supporting aquaculture farmers in incorporating smart solutions that make their business more productive and efficient,” Nutreco CEO Fulco van Lede said.
Van Lede said the acquisition will help Nutreco’s aquaculture business, Skretting, provide in-house on-farm software and smart equipment to aquaculture farmers worldwide to increase their productivity and lower potential risks for their farming activities.
Eruvaka was established in the Indian southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh in April 2012. It is focused on development of solutions for cloud-based aquaculture pond management, including real-time monitoring and smart feeders. Its technology specializations include automatic and intelligent sonic feeding, alerts, pond diagnostics, data recording, analytics and automation, according to Nutreco.
Nutreco’s purchase of the 25 percent stake in 2018 was originally aimed at helping scale Eruvaka.
The aquaculture technologies developed by Eruvaka have been integrated into Skretting’s services provided to its clients in Latin America since 2018. They have helped farmers to reduce production costs, boost yields, improve sustainability scores, and lower risks, Nutreco said.
“Eruvaka has formed the basis for the exceptionally successful Skretting 360+ concept. We have been able to work with farmers to reduce uncertainty, provide peace of mind, increase productivity, and reduce risk,” Eruvaka CEO Kunal Choudhary said.
Skretting LatAm Managing Director Carlos Miranda said the integration of Eruvaka technologies into Skretting’s 360+ value proposition has enabled shrimp farmers in the region to increase the growth and survival of their shrimp, lower their average feed-conversion ratio, and reduce their costs by 26 percent.
Nutreco said it has made 10 investments across Asia, Latin America, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. since 2019.
Photo courtesy of Eruvaka
