Sea Fresh has acquired a shrimp farm in Sri Lanka. Sjoerd Ras, director of wholesaling, stressed that this strategic move represents an important milestone in our pursuit of further vertical integration, from production to the shelf. Ras traveled to Sri Lanka last week to sign the purchase contract.
The recently acquired nursery concerns a modern complex with an impressive area of 72,000 square meters, located in Karikattiya. It includes eighteen RAS circular tanks and five breeding ponds, with an annual breeding capacity of 225 tons of shrimp.
Ownership of the nursery lies entirely with Sea Fresh. Management and operational activities are managed through a joint venture with a local partner, Taprobane Seafoods Ltd. Taprobane Seafoods has a processing plant for peeling, blanching, cooking, freezing and packaging shrimp.
In addition, Northwest Fishery Ltd may also be involved in the process. Sea Fresh acquired this plant 15 years ago specifically to process tuna.
“Our long-standing partnership and knowledge of the seafood industry in Sri Lanka paved the way for this expansion. We are excited to combine our expertise in yellowfin tuna with the addition of vannamei shrimp. In the near future, we will apply for ASC certification to distribute our own farmed shrimp for the European retail market,” Ras said.
Vannamei shrimp, also known as white-legged shrimp, are currently the most widely grown shrimp species in the world. Sjoerd Ras emphasizes that they are an affordable source of protein. The price of these tropical shrimp remains stable in a rapidly changing global market. Sea Fresh has already sold many of them and is seeing a steady increase in demand.
