International investment fund Hermes-Sojitz is funding the launch of a surimi factory in Senegal, Africa – said to be the world’s first high-tech factory of its kind.
The company will implement a new production method which it says will significantly increase profitability of manufacturing.
The technology, implemented by Karelian Industrial Complex, will enable the factory to produce surimi from a cheaper, but still nutritious, grey’ variety of fish.
Traditional surimi manufactures only use white’ varieties of fish, but reduced fishing quotas and migration of fish to hard-to-reach areas is affecting the price of the final product, the fund said. According to Hermes-Sojitz, surimi market experts have revealed a surimi supply shortage of up to 15%.
But, Africa, and Senegal in particular, has great potential, Hermes-Sojitz said. Suppliers can cut costs by relocating their factories closer to steadily yielding fish resources.
The new factory is set to open this year.
Mercator Media Ltd 2014