Unima – Aqualma: the shrimp farming industry is about to recover

The dark years of the shrimp farming industry, mainly caused the collapse of the international economy and the national political crisis, seem to be gone. Such was the assertion of Rigolet Vincent, Chief of Exploitation within Unima Aqualma, during an organized trip for the press from November 9 to 10, in the farming sites of the group in Besakoa and Mahajamba.

Mr. Rigolet said the global financial crisis was a shock to everyone and it has particularly hit the Great Island very hard as the level of exports fell by 25 500 tonnes in 2007 to 4 600 tonnes in 2008. For Aqualma, these difficulties were particularly marked, in the same year, by the closure of the Besalampy farming site, followed by the different losses the closure brought about.

This year sounds like that of the recovery, namely with the reopening of the Besalampy shrimp farm whose first farm ponds were scheduled to be functional again since yesterday and the average of 3 200 tonnes of exported shrimp per year is expected to increase, given that Aqualma provides two thirds of the exports of farmed shrimp, 90% of which are shipped to Europe, 8% to Asia and 2% to the United States.