New shrimp feed plant will expand production capacity by 45%
Vitapro will invest $80 million in a new Nicovita plant in Ecuador, the company said in an announcement.
Nicovita accompanies the growth of the shrimp sector with the firm decision to make an investment unprecedented in its history, which strengthens its history of commitment and leadership in the industry, and marks the beginning of a new era to now drive the sector to “evolve with confidence,” which has always characterized the brand.
“We are proud to announce the investment of more than $80 million destined to expand approximately 45% of our production capacity, thus consolidating the Guayaquil plant as one of the largest production centers in the world in relation to balanced feed specialized in shrimp,” said Fabricio Vargas, general manager of Vitapro Ecuador.
This new investment is a tangible reflection of Nicovita’s commitment to accompany the exponential growth of the shrimp sector for the coming years, because it will allow it to expand by approximately 45% the land destined for the production and storage of balanced feed, consolidating a new plant with the most advanced digital technology, as well as more efficient production systems and processes with high quality standards aligned with the brand’s seal of trust. The contribution to the economic and productive development of the country is also tangible in the generation of employment that this new investment will bring.
“Once the plant starts operating, we calculate an increase of between 40% and 50% of workers,” Vargas said.
During 2021, Nicovita expanded its production and storage capacity for $35 million, which is about to be consolidated during the first half of 2022. And now, with this new investment, Nicovita and Vitapro further strengthen the aquaculture infrastructure of the country, guaranteeing the food for the shrimp that its clients will produce and export in the coming years. This contributes to Ecuador maintaining the leadership it achieved in 2020 by registering record figures in exports and positioning itself in 2021 as the largest world producer of shrimp, above strong Asian competitors such as China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia.
Vitapro is a leading company in the aquaculture sector, focused on the development of nutritional and technological solutions for aquaculture, and is present with its Nicovita brand in Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala, recognized in the market for its quality, constant innovation in feeding strategies for each type of need and crop, and its passion for transferring knowledge to the industry.
With the new investment announced by Nicovita, a Vitapro brand, the amount invested in the country to date, which has contributed to solidly boosting the growth of the Ecuadorian shrimp farm, reaches almost $200 million, and has meant an accompaniment to the evolution of the aquaculture sector for decades.
