Grieg and AqaGen sign strategic partnership

GRIEG Seafood has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with the salmon egg company AquaGen, which specialises in breeding disease and lice resistant stock.

Grieg said that its operations at Erfjord in Rogoland, Norway, will produce broodfish and eggs belonging to AquaGen.

The agreement also includes egg deliveries from AquaGen to the company’s Finnmark and Shetland farms.

Commenting on the value of genetics, Grieg Seafood CEO Andreas Kvame said: ‘Genetic material is a fundamental input factor in any food production, and an important success factor in achieving a good salmon production.

‘AquaGen selects salmon with good growth properties and high disease resistance, and was the first using advanced methodology in the selection.

‘This gives a good match to Grieg Seafood’s focus on increased survival and improved production growth that will take the company towards a production of 100,000 tonnes by 2020.’

Both Grieg and AquaGen said there were other key areas, such as environmental sustainability and profitable growth, in which the two companies could work together.

Nina Santi, chief executive of AquaGen, said: ‘We are looking forward to working closely with such a forward looking producer as Grieg Seafood.’