Seafood plant targets backyard fish producers
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), operator of the Philippine-Korea Seafood Processing Plant in Dagupan City, is reaching out to small fish processors to help them penetrate the international market.
Dr. Westly Rosario, head of the BFAR research center and plant manager, said the plant can offer packing services that meet international standards as he note that some small producers still use staple wire to seal their products.
“Doon puede nilang i-vacuum-packed sa center at babayaran lang nila ang paggamit ng equipment,” Rosario said during the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of the Philippine Information Agency Tuesday.
A stakeholders’ forum is being planned next month to encourage more seafood producers, particularly the small home-based sector, to use the plant.
Rosario said so far only exporters have been meeting with the plant’s team.
The P100-million processing plant, built through a grant from the government of South Korea, is still not operating its full capacity but has already undertaken test runs.
Rosario cited the plant’s capability to process seven tons of blast-frozen bangus in February and later exported to the United States.
The BFAR team is currently undertaking “corrective measures” on the plant’s system including the installation of an appropriate power source for the refrigerated van.
TRAINING
Training for workers at the plant is also ongoing.
Former residents of Sitio Russia, who were relocated to make way for the plant, continue to be trained until their level of skills have reached a high level of competency.
During the test run, the fish deboners could only process eight pieces in one hour, less than half the target of 22.5 pieces per hour or 180 per eight hours.
About 30 skilled workers from outside the Sitio Russia group, who needed training on proper hygiene and sanitation practices, have been employed as emergency workers to cope with the plant’s capacity. (With report from DOS/PIA Pangasinan)
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