Taprobane Seafoods announces strategic diversification plans
Taprobane Seafoods, Sri Lanka’s largest and most integrated seafood company, is gearing up to announce a host of new strategic initiatives.
The company is introducing new shrimp services by leveraging on its first-mover status as the pioneer of SPF Vannamei, a shrimp variety that is disease-free and in line with state rules to ensure only shrimp coming from disease- free broodstock could be farmed in Sri Lanka, the company said in a media release.
The company owns the only hatchery that brings down broodstock from Hawaii for breeding and has recently been awarded a hatchery on the East Coast by the government. The expansion by the company into shrimp farming will provide more employment opportunities in Sri Lanka, thereby increasing export revenues to develop the national economy.
Adding value for the shrimp farmer, the company launches Taprobane Aqua Services, a one-stop-shop for all aquaculture products and services. The building in Chilaw represents Collaboration, Innovation and Acceleration, showcasing Taprobane’ blueprint to drive a sustainable and eco-friendly shrimp sector through controlled intensification. The benefits to the farmer will be reducing middlemen and paying direct to farmers, thus ensuring good prices; working with the government on policies, regulations and infrastructure (for example, electrification, cannel dredging and roads); helping older generation farmers move more quickly into utilising new technology; shifting mindsets and onboarding farmers on to new production and platforms; working with the government to change the lingering sentiment that shrimp farming is bad; protecting our environment, and 100 per cent transparency within our sector to ensure human rights are being protected.
Diversifying further, Taprobane launches Taprobane Feed, in collaboration with Skretting, a Norwegian company and a world leader in aquaculture feed, which will pack the feed sold by Taprobane, the release said.
Timothy O’Reilly, Managing Director of Taprobane Seafoods said: “As a pioneer and first-mover in aquaculture, Taprobane Seafoods’ vision for its growth and expansion also encompasses how Sri Lanka can develop this industry as a niche export segment that earns valuable foreign exchange for the country. The series of initiatives we have taken as we enter 2022 reflects Taprobane’ blueprint for building the future of the Sri Lankan shrimp industry whilst ensuring diversification and value addition in our operations.”