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CBC Co., Ltd – with a wide range of
interests from medical supplies to fish – is planning to open more
abalone farms abroad to increase its abalone production to 200
tonnes a year by 2005. The company hopes to increase sales in Japan,
Korea and China.
CBC started farming abalone in 1995
through a joint venture company in Iceland, but output has been
fairly low. With the increased demand for fish and seafood following
the BSE scares, CBC decided to increase production in Iceland and
last year production was up 70 per cent to 40 tonnes per year.
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The company CBC hopes to increase
sales in
Japan, Korea and China. (Photo:FIS) |
In Iceland the abalone are fed seaweed
and warm water is plentiful thanks to the natural springs, which helps
keep production costs to a minimum. According to CBC, the company can
keep sales prices down by farming in Iceland, whereas if the abalone
were farmed in Japan, the end product would be more costly.
CBC now plans to start farming abalone in
Canada, upon invitation from a company with assistance from the Canadian
government, the name of which is not yet known.
This second venture is set to great boost
the company’s output and turnover, says CBC.
Source:
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