Mozambican company Aquapesca to export shrimp and crab to the US and China

Shrimp and crab produced by Aquapesca, a fish farming company based in Mozambique's central Zambézia province, are due to be sold in two new markets ; the United States and China starting this year, said the company's director speaking to Mozambican newspaper Noticias, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Macauhub.

Noting that the Euro zone countries had so far been the preferred market for its farmed shrimp, an experiment started 15 years ago in the province, François Grosse told the newspaper that expected production volume for this year was over 800 tons of shrimp, as compared to 585 tons in 2010, which was a real rise of 215 tons.

In 2010 Aquapesca exported 200 tons of shrimp to the European Union.

The company, which is French and Mozambican owned, has so far invested US$50 million in its facility, and has a workforce of 800 people, of which half are permanent workers.

The company launched a pilot-project for farming crab, which will supply not only the domestic market, but also other countries where seafood consumption is on the rise.

This pilot project is estimated to cost over US$1 million funded by the EU and is being carried out in an area of 5 hectares and 800 crabs.