Nova Austral facilities. (Photo: Pescanova)

Ewos aims to improve Nova Austral’s productivity

CHILE
Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 23:30 (GMT + 9)

After settling the acquisition of Nova Austral for USD 183 million, the Norwegian company Ewos is assessing making improvements in their factories and farms of the former subsidiary of the Spanish multinational firm Pescanova, and then expanding its operations.

The new owners plan that Nova Austral continues operating as an independent company and that Ewos supplies the fish feed on commercial terms.

As reported by the new general manager of the salmon firm, Nicos Nicolaides, in the next eight months they expect to invest a couple of million dollars to improve various aspects of the operation of the firm, specifically technological ones in their factories and farms.

After that, they are going to assess a project to install a fish farm in Tierra del Fuego. "The idea is that it can supply the entire production plan of the company, which so far has been an outsourced process," added the entrepreneur.

To the executive, the consolidation experienced by the industry is good: "There are certain production standards requiring minimal size and financial backing."

When Ewos acquired Austral Nova, the new owners found that the situation was complex.

"The expectation was to harvest 20,000 tonnes this year, but due to the lack of resources to cover the operation," they stopped feeding the fish and harvested them when they had very low weight, which was 60 per cent of the expected volume," stated Nicolaides.

Therefore, they decided to stop harvesting and to feed the fish for them to reach a standard of around 4 kg.

The goal is that by 2015 the 10,000 tonnes that would be produced this year can be doubled and reach 30,000 tonnes in 2016, Diario Financiero reported.

"In 2015 we expect better numbers. They will definitely be blue," claimed the new manager.

In terms of cost, he admitted that the level is high, at around USD 4.75 per kg, and that the one-year goal is to lower it at USD 3.5/kg.

Among other things, the new owners of Nova Austral intend to close the offices located in Santiago and transfer them to Punta Arenas (Magallanes Region) and to Puerto Montt (Los Lagos Region), to be "where the fish are."

"With a strong leadership team, goods and facilities, and an excellent location in Region XII, we believe that under the new ownership, Nova Austral has a great opportunity to increase production in a sustainable way," remarked Hugo Maurstad, Board Chairman of Ewos.

"This transaction will be a great step forward for Nova Austral and an opportunity for Ewos to show the large-scale value of innovative food," he added when announcing the completion of the purchase of the aquaculture company.

Related article:

- Ager acquires PescaChile assets, sets trade agreement with Europacífico
- Ewos affiliate agrees to buy Nova Austral

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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