New surimi factory to open in Africa

An international fund is set to launch a new surimi factory in Africa, using new technology to address what the fund described as a growing market.

Hermes-Sojitz announced the farm will open in 2014 in Senegal. The group claims the surimi market has a supply deficiency of up to 15 percent.

According to the group, surimi manufacture is a difficult process typically done with fresh whitefish remains. The new farm will make use of frozen fish using what the group called “novelty technologies.” The group also said it will be using less expensive “grey” varieties of fish, rather than traditional whitefish.

“Tightening of fishing quotas and migration of (whitefish) to hard-to-reach areas affect the price of the final product,” the group said in a statement. “Since surimi is actually the raw stuff for other products, such as imitation crab sticks and a number of national dishes in Asia, the price issue has a direct impact upon profitability of the entire business.”

The group is planning to capitalize on the growth in demand in Asia, the major surimi-consuming destination.

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