ZAMBIA – A new factory worth US$10million has been officially inaugurated by Aller Aqua as part of the company’s plan to invest in the aquaculture industry sector in Zambia.
The factory, with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per annum, was established as a joint venture with Oakfield Holdings Limited where Aller Aqua has an off-take agreement with Yalelo Limited, the the producers of tilapia, based in the country.
Yalelo plans growth of 50% per annum according to its CEO, Bryan McCoy.
“It will be a proud day when we inaugurate our fifth factory, which is also our second factory on the African continent,” Henrik Halken, Group Vice President for Aller Aqua Group, explains.
“The growth in Egypt and the success we experience through our own sales companies in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana prove that there is a market for aquafeed of a higher quality than the customers here are used to.
We have been present in Africa for a long time, and now the time was right to take the next step and establish an additional factory.”
“It is crucial to find the right people for collaboration in any market. We have found these people, and this has given us the best possible starting point in the market. Locally, we have some very strong teams in place.
The key is local knowledge, industry specific experience and a drive to take the projects further”, said Niels Lundgaard, Commercial Director (Africa) for the Aller Aqua Group.
The African market is predicted to grow significantly within the coming years. This will increase the demand for healthy and sustainably produced foods such as fish, enabling the local producers of tilapia and catfish to achieve a higher yield from their fish farms.
With a strategy which incorporates good local management, knowledge exchange, constant care and training Aller Aqua has built a solid foundation for its business in Africa.
Furthermore, the company is also very active in Europe and Asia. In October Aller Aqua will inaugurate its sixth factory – in Qingdao in China.
“After a long period of investments, we have doubled our capacity, and now we need to focus on sales and securing and maintaining our position.
We are manning up everywhere, not least at the head office in Denmark, to support the international growth.
We are busy but excited about the positive development in Aller Aqua. Together with our dedicated local teams we can take advantage of this potential,” reflects Hans Erik Bylling, CEO of Aller Aqua Group.
