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Philippine tuna company acquires US salmon company

Roy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:51:25 +0000

Philippine company Alliance Select Food International Inc. sealed a deal to acquire 100 percent of US company Spence & Co. Ltd., a Massachusetts-based salmon smoking and curing company who specializes in the production of smoked salmon and seafood, prepared in the Scottish tradition of its founder Alan Spence. The company caters to the high-end market in the USA and Europe.

The Alliance, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), said it had signed an agreement to acquired the US fish company lock, stock and barrel through subsidiary ASFI Choice Foods Inc. for $8.5 million.

Alliance spokesperson Rajat Balain said, “An investment in Spence is another step towards Alliance’s goal of diversifying its product line to enhance shareholder value and ensure future profitability. This will be Alliance’s third smoked salmon venture, making it the largest salmon processor in the region, and will help it establish a beachhead in the lucrative seafood market in the US.”

To partly finance the acquisition of Spence, Alliance will be conducting a stock rights offering. The company already gave the approval for the said offering. The PSE suspended trading of Alliance starting 9 a.m. Tuesday pending the submission of additional disclosure pertinent details on the transaction.

Alliance started commercial operations in General Santos City in Mindanao in 2004, it was formerly known as Alliance Tuna International and engages in tuna processing, canning and export of canned tuna products. It exports to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and South America as a “private label manufacture,” which means it processes and cans tuna using its customer’s brands.

Part of its overseas expansion in recent years is the company’s aspirations to become a regional food company with a “decidedly Filipino DNA.” Alliance is always on the lookout for opportunities in regional seafood companies with high margins and high-value products.

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Philippines bans chocolate milk from Japan

Roy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:22:58 +0000

The country temporarily bans chocolate milk products from Japan after the March 11 earthquake, although it was just a verbal order issued by Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Efren Nuestro. Philippines joins other countries like Russia, Canada, Australia and Singapore, among the list of countries which banned Japanese food imports as radioactive steam wafted anew from the Fukushima Dai-chi Nuclear Power Station.

Nuestro said that a formal order is already being drafted canceling a previous clearance for the import of Japanese chocolate milk products. “We will recall the veterinary quarantine clearance for chocolate milk products that were shipped into the Philippines after March 11.”

Together with the BAI, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), would screen animal-based products from Japan for abnormal radiation levels and recommend the suspension of the importation of suspect items. The two agencies are both under the Department of Agriculture.

A random sampling of mackerel from Japan would be conducted to determine if they have a high radioactivity level, said BFAR Director Malcom Sarmiento. According to him, the country imported 4,000 tons of mackerel from Japan last year for food processing.

Quarantine officer Rico Capulong said that the Philippine custom authorities are also keeping a close watch on any imports from areas of Japan that were close to the stricken nuclear plants. “Not all parts of Japan were affected. There are certain areas that we are concentrating on,” he said.

Meanwhile, three United Nations agencies issued a joint statement in Geneva, pledging their commitment to “mobilizing their and expertise” to help Japan, noting that “food safety issues are an additional dimension of the emergency.”

The three agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, said Japan was taking the right action. “Food monitoring is being implemented, measurements of radioactivity in food are taking place and the results are being communicated publicly,” the three agencies added.

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Nido sold first crude oil to a company in South Korea

Roy — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:05:03 +0000

Nido Petroleum Ltd. sold its first oil from the Tindalo oil field off Palawan. The Australian firm has sold to a buyer in South Korea some 230,000 barrels for crude oil cargo. Joanne Williams, Nido deputy managing director, said the sale was confirmed by the joint venture’s marketing agent, Trafigura Pte Ltd., with the lifting expected in the second half of September.

“An advance on the proceeds from 173,655 barrels of crude oil from the first sale was received on August 19. These barrels will remain stored aboard the floating storage and offtake (FSO) vessel until the lifting,” Williams said.

The Tindalo oil well is producing approximately 1,535 barrels of oil a day. Williams said that the Service Contract 54 A, which covers the said oil well, has also approved the Tindalo-1 well intervention and remediation program.

She explained, “Dependent upon the results of diagnostic logging that will be undertake after, well re-entry will involve either one or more of the following options: reperforation deeper in the oil column; water shutoff via cement squeeze; or sidetrack drilling within the Nido Limestone.”

Nido’s stake in the SC 54A joint venture license is 42.4 percent. 30.1 percent interest belongs to another firm, Yilgarn Petroleum, Trafigura Ventures has 15 percent and TG World (BVI) Corp. has 12.5 interests. The Tindalo oil well is estimated to yield up to 24.5 million barrels of oil

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RD Corp. to expand tuna cannery business

Roy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:25:25 +0000

The RD Corporation, a Filipino owned company, is planning to expand its investment in the tuna cannery business and is earmarking about $15 million for its prospect. This was disclosed by RD Group chairman Rodrigo Rivera, who said that they will be starting the new cannery by the first quarter of 2010 and will be based in General Santos City. The group has already existing 6 canneries in the city.

With the planned cannery plant, the company hopes to increase their output of 140 tons per day to 200 tons daily. What more, the new plant will also create about 1,200 to 1,500 new jobs in the area. According to Rivera, tuna cannery is a very labor intensive business.

The company has 11,000 employees at present, of which 7,000 are in General City. Rivera said that 90% of their workforce is women.

Aside from the Philippine operations, RD Corp also has cannery plants in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Indonesia plant produces 80 metric tons, while the Papua New Guinea plant produces 200 metric tons.

In the Philippines, they are the biggest exporter of canned tuna, with about 380 million metric tons of exports per year. RD Corp. exports 14 containers every day, and one container costs $40,000, said Rivera. Their exports comprised 30% of their canned tuna production. Aside from exporting canned tunas, they also sell scrap of fish overseas.

The RD Group is composed of four fishing companies. These are RD Fishing Industry Inc., RD Tuna Ventures Inc., South Sea Fishing Ventures Philippines Inc. and Asia Pacific Allied Fishing Ventures Corp.

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Bangus prices dropped because of typhoon Pepeng

Roy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:13:50 +0000

Prices of milkfish (bangus) dropped to P30 a kilo from a previous P90 per kilo when floods triggered by Pepengâ€™s strong rains washed out Pangasinanâ€™s fishponds and cages.

Fishpond owners, who were trapped on the roofs of their houses because of the 20-foot-high floodwaters, can only watched helplessly while their neighbors swam and scooped up the bangus escaping from overflowing fishponds.Â Some were even bringing woven baskets or nets to catch the fish.

The fishpond operators in Pangasinan, and in nearby towns, Binmaley and Mangaldan, paid no attention to their fish stock and just waited for rescue boats.

Residents who caught the fishes in floodwaters were selling their catch to fellow calamity victims, said Mae Viray, a member of the city information office.

The owner of the biggest fishpond in Binmaley, Jess Aquino said they decided not to harvest their bangus stock early and watched the floodwaters carry away their harvest. â€œEven if we harvest the bangus before the floods, we wonâ€™t make a profit as we could only sell them at P30 a kilogram,â€ he said.

The flood have crippled the city and most of the eastern and central towns, hampering travel to Metro Manila, making the shipment of goods, like bangus, out of the province impossible.

Neighbors feasted on the bangus escaping from the fish ponds. The fishes sought out the rivers in Binmaley, Mangaldan and Dagupan.

A hectare of fishpond contains betweenÂ 5,000 to 10,000 bangus. Fish cages that culture bangus can hold as much as 50,000 fishes. Some operators, said Aquino, tried to save their harvest. They installed nets around fish cages and put as many fishes as possible.

Others, like Aquino, who canâ€™t do that chose to write off their losses. Aquino said they just let their neighbors feast on the fish, their main concern then was to wait for the rescue boat to save them.

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SBMA grants P4M fund to Subic fisherfolks

Roy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:06:27 +0000

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has given the Subic Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (SB-IFARMC) a P4 million fund for its various activities which are meant to balance the industrial thrust of Subic Bay port. SB-IFARMC is a group formed to promote the sustainable development of the bay of Subic.

SBMA head Armand Arreza said, the fund also form as assistance to jumpstart livelihood and marine resources conservation programs by local fishers. The amount will be sourced from the environmental guarantee fund, a fund created as a condition under the environmental compliance certificate issued for two huge maritime projects in Subic, namely, the Subic port-modernization program and the Hanjin shipbuilding venture.

Arreza said, â€œFisherfolk who have been dependent on Subic Bayâ€™s bounty even before the creation of the Subic Bay Free Port will be the beneficiaries of this grant. They may have been affected by restrictions imposed on Subic as the maritime sector boomed, but this grant proves that the SBMA also champions the interest of the fishing sector.â€

SB-IFARMC chairman Laureano Artagame thanked SBMA for providing the assistance and said that the funds would be used mostly on building artificial reefs, and provide scholarships and livelihood programs for the families of fisherfolks in Subic.

Arreza and Artagame signed the memorandum of agreement governing the terms and conditions of the P4-million grant last week. Artagame said, â€œWith this fund, the SB-IFARMC will immediately implement project proposals from fishing communities. A lot of projects have lain dormant for the most part due to lack of funding.â€

The SBMA will be assisting the SB-IFARMC in the implementation of its projects. Other government agencies, like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, will be working with the group too.

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New solar fish dryer cabinet developed by a Davao firm

Roy — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:48:51 +0000

A new method of drying fresh fish has been developed with the help of the new cabinet solar dryer created by Macondray Plastics, Inc. (Macplas), a local firm in Davao City who has been supplying the plastic bag requirements of banana plantations in Davao since the 1990s.

The cabinet solar dryer known as Helichaus was developed by Macplas with the assistance of the Los BaÃ±os-based Department of Science and Technology â€“ Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD). Selected housewives in Barangay Masili, Calamba City, Laguna.

The Helichaus wasÂ field-tested in fish drying and its quality of dried products using cabinet solar drying and sun drying, determinedÂ the moisture content if the dried products were subjected to two drying methods. Likewise, sensory evaluation of the dried products was also conducted, as well determination of the production cost.

The results of the research was reported by Vicente de Jesus of Macplas at the â€œFirst National Summit on Mechanization in Aquacultureâ€ which was held recently at the Department of Agriculture â€“ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources â€“ National Fisheries Research and Development Institute â€“ Asia Fisheries Academy in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

In the test conducted, siganid (rabbit fish or danggit), shrimps, tilapia and ayungin were subjected to sun drying and cabinet solar-drying methods. De Jesus notedÂ â€œit was observed that the heat from the sun was trapped inside the cabinet solar dryer, thereby increasing its temperature which facilitated the drying process of the fish samples.â€

In both drying methods, the temperature readings increased as the weather changed and drying time progressed. However, the Macplas dryer had higher temperature readings than the sun drying method at the same weather condition.

Employing the assistance of the trained students at the Laguna State Polytechnic University in Los BaÃ±os, sensory evaluation was done, while at the DOST-Los BaÃ±os, chemical analysis was done on the dried products. Results showed that the cabinet solar-dried fish samples had better quality attributes and moisture contents than the sun dried and commercially dried fish species.

The Helichaus also prolongs the keeping storage, safety of the dried fish samples and it reduces the drying period from two to three days to one or one and a half days, depending on the sunâ€™s heat.

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Saudi Arabia looking to invest in agriculture in the Philippines

Roy — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:03:47 +0000

The Saudi Arabiaâ€™s government will send delegates to the Philippines, along with some from the private sector, on May 5 to 10 to scout for prospective investments in the Philippine agriculture sector. According to the Department of Agriculture, 25 to 28 representatives will visit the country next week.

This is in response to the invitation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the Saudi government during her working visit to Saudi Arabia last February. According to Berna Romulo Puyat, undersecretary of Special Concerns of DA, the delegation is scheduled to participate in the RP-KSA Business Forum and Business Matching which was organized by her committee on May 6. After the said business forum, dinner will follow at the residence of the Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Mohammed Ameen Wali.

The next day, the delegates will visit Bohol to explore possible investments in the rice and oil palm subsectors. Puyat is also proposing that they (delegates) visit also the cities of Davao and General Santos to look into investments in the rice, banana, mariculture parks, commercial fisheries and fish processing subsectors; and also in Bukidnon for possible ventures in the rice, banana, corn, pineapple, livestock, poultry and oil palm subsectors.

Culminating their activities in the country, the KSA delegation will have a courtesy call on President Arroyo, after which a dinner hosted by DA Secretary Arthur Yap will follow, on May 8.

President Arroyo, and her delegation, was able to discuss with their counterparts for Saudi Arabia, during her visit in Riyadh last February, the possibilities of them investing in food production in the southern part of the Philippines. Together with the official delegation then was Yap and Puyat.

Total two-way volume of trade between the two countries registered growth in 2007, reaching $3.6 billion as compared with $1.19 billion generated in 2003. However the balance of trade has always been in favor of Saudi Arabia owing to the Philippinesâ€™ large crude oil imports.

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Memorandum of Understanding signed between RP and Papua New Guinea

Roy — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:23:27 +0000

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on fisheries, which pledged to strengthen two-way trade and investment, has been signed between the government of Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The two countries entered into the understanding when Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare visited the Philippines.

Somare met with our president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during his visit country at the Shangri-La Resort and Spa in Boracay Island last Monday. After the bilateral meeting of the two leaders, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Papua New Guinea Fisheries Minister Ben Semri signed the MoU, according to the Palace.

In a statement released by MalacaÃ±ang, the signed MoU will help the two countries facilitate technology transfer in aquaculture development, promotion of shipping, ventures, investments, technical training, joint research, and â€œstrategic complementationâ€ of each countryâ€™s plans in the â€œCoral Triangle,â€ which is the waters between the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands.

Stated in the MoU: â€œThis Memorandum of Understanding on fisheries cooperation mirrors the commitment of both parties to the goal of securing a productive and sustainable future for their respective fishing industries through joint exploration, development and implementation of priority development undertakings.â€

The two nation leaders both agreed that the MoU will further the countriesâ€™ bilateral relations and will pave the way for future bilateral agreements on technical and development cooperation, taxation, investment promotion, and air services.

As stated in a joint statement which was issued after the expanded bilateral meeting between Arroyo and Somare, and their respective officials, â€œBoth leaders hoped that the state visit would also spur potential new exchanges of expertise such as university lecturers, teachers, doctors, technocrats, social, and civil society workers.â€

Somare said the Philippines ranked sixth among Papua New Guineaâ€™s major trading partners. The two-way trade between the two countries, centered on fishing, is at P1.6 billion ($33.20 million) per year.

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Google Earth 5 Featuring Google Ocean

PinoyBusiness — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:35:43 +0000

Internet giant and search engine-industry leader Google has released the new version of Google Earth. The new version, Google Earth 5.0 has an added feature that makes it more exciting, because now it has views of the oceans, and not just the surface of the ocean but the deep sea too.

Another new and exciting feature in the latest version of Google Earth is the addition of historical maps. These maps allow users to take a look into the past and see images then and the changes to the planet over the course of time.

And Google Earth now even traverse into the outer space as it also has a new 3-D Mars feature which shows a close-up view of Mars.

But easily though, the new feature that is getting the most buzz is the Google Ocean where you can go underwater and see the beauty of the world underwater. John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps said that the addition of Google Ocean to Google Earth corrects an oversight when they initially launched the application.

“It was a serious omission on our part not to include a better treatment of the oceans when we launched Google Earth, and I’m very happy that we’ve been able to address that. We now have a good substrate for publishing and exploring data about the ‘other’ two-thirds of the planet,” he explained.

The new feature makes Google Earth a better and more complete information resource.

It is now regarded as a better teaching tool to students and most people in general. The inclusion of the Ocean in Google Earth will help create awareness to everybody about the importance of saving our oceans. It is also a good source of education about climate change and its impact on the ocean.

Needles to say, it also a fun and interesting tool.

Related Video:

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Bangus Polvoron

PinoyBusiness — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:31:11 +0000

Pangasinan is the bangus capital of the Philippines, because the province has an abundant supply of milkfish, that is why it is their main product. And being their main product, every year they hold a bangus festival where they honor their main source of livelihood.

Part of this celebration is the parading of different ways of preparing and cooking of the bangus. And competitions are even held to come up with the most unique bangus dish that the Pangasinense can think of, Bangus sisig, Bangus skin chicharon and more.

In spite of the different bangus dish and preparations that they came up with, they always end up with the fish bones that would just go to waste. But that was before research was made to make use of this by-product, and what a discovery that they made.

Thanks to the research, now, nothing in our national fish bangus goes to waste. Because after the fish has been deboned, instead of throwing away the bones that were gathered, they were developed and are now used in making a healthy calcium-enriched polvoron.

What used to be a problem in Pangasinan, which is the disposal of the fish bones and spines has created an exciting new product for them, and that is by turning these wastes into bangus polvoron. And this polvoron is said to help fight osteoporosis because it is enriched in with calcium.

Turning the fish bones into polvoron is quite easy. The collected bangus fish bones are first softened by cooking them in pressure cookers, after which they are chopped, pounded and minced until they turn into powder. This is then mixed with the ingredients in making the healthy polvoron.

The bangus polvoron just goes to show how resourceful and ingenious Filipino can be, as they develop products from what is already considered a waste.

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A Story of a Sucessful Filipino Entrepreneur in the Fishing Industry which shows Filipino Resiliency

PinoyBusiness — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:00:58 +0000

The Filipino resiliency can only be equaled by his resourcefulness and industry. Once problem gets in, he will find means to solve it or at least find alternative ways to go around it. For many Filipinos who have lost their jobs for various reasons, sulking in the corner is the last option. Many of resorted to finding other means of earning an income.

Such as the case of Romulo Malicsi, 37 years old, who was laid-off from his work in a factory in Maco, Davao. Being without a job, Malicsi didnâ€™t just wait and wait for his family to be hungry, he went back to his old hobby which is line fishing.

Malicsi has been doing line fishing before but just leisure during weekends. And because he has learned from the fishermen doing their daily fishing at a channel near the Davao seaport, he knows exactly when and where the big fishes go for food in large numbers.

Once he throws the bait, Malicsi need not wait for so long before a hungry fish bite. And when he feels it, he allows to fish to swim free by loosening up the line, before suddenly jerking back the line. As he smiles and beams proudly, he holds the line with a big fish flapping in front of him. He does know the spot where theyâ€™re at.

Malicsi easily fills up a bucket full of fresh live fishes, which are mostly â€œkitongâ€, a big flat gray fish with brown spouts, from 10 to 15 inches long, with an average of 20 grams each. This could last his family of five for three to four days. Just enough to augment their daily needs with the help of his working wife.

Indeed Filipinos will always rise up to any crisis. Some have turn to odd jobs like selling, growing backyard vegetables, raising livestock like pigs or poultry and other types of work and services. And those living near fishing spots like Malicsi, can easily turn to fishing to be able to feed their family.

Well, as the saying goes, if one knows how to fish, he will not be hungry for the rest of his life. Especially, if you’re as resilient as the Filipino.