Cargill's Shrimp Hatchery Business To Start Operations

Cargill, an American commodity trading giant, expects its new shrimp hatchery business for aquaculture in Pahang to start operation by year-end.

Cargill Asia Pacific president/regional director Paul Conway today said the business was Cargill's first in the world, with an initial investment of RM5 million.

Elaborating further, Cargill Feed Sdn Bhd managing director Desmond Tham Yuk Sun said there is a niche for Cargill to provide SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) to the shrimp farmers in Malaysia.

"This is to help the shrimp farmers to have a good result, output more secure and a stable return," he added.

Speaking to reporters after launching its application centre for food and beverage in South East Asia, he said Cargill also wants to expand its business in cocoa and specialty fats in Malaysia.

While not ruling out acquisitions, Conway said such an exercise was now expensive and therefore it was better to grow organically.

On the application centre, Conway said the new facility expands Cargill's capabilities to partner with food and beverage manufacturers in South East Asia to create innovative new products.

"Our new facility unites Cargill's product formulation expertise for its palm oil refinering, texturizing and flavoUring businesses under one roof to better serve our customers in this region," he added.

Among the capabilities available in the application centre are development of flavours for beverage, dairy, sugar and chocolate confectionery, formulation testing of fats for baking and chocolate making, fats formulation test frying for chicken and french fries and texturizing test activities related to dairy and non-dairy products, as well as juice beverages.

On Malaysia as an investment destination, Conway said Cargill was positive about the country's investment climate, especially in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors.