Work starts on Latin America’s first tilapia breeding centre in Brazil
GenoMar Genetics Group, which distributes tilapia genetic products, has announced the building of a new tilapia breeding and genetics centre in the state of Tocantins, Brazil.
The company said the hatchery will be the first of its kind for tilapia species in the Latin American region and will have sufficient capacity to manage GenoMar’s breeding programs as well as to produce parent stock for its distribution operations.
Construction has already begun and the centre is expected to be operational by the first quarter of next year.
Proximity to customers
GenoMar said the location of the centre in Tocantins aligns with its policy of establishing production facilities in regions with very low climatic risks and proximity to its customer base.
Chief executive Alejandro Tola Alvarez said: “We have spent the last two years planning for this investment and our team has done fantastic work bringing 20 years of experience in practical tilapia breeding together with the latest knowledge and advances in genomic selection to maximise the efficiency of breeding, as well as consistent biosecurity projects.
“The new breeding centre will be a huge asset to the group and the wider Brazilian and Latin American tilapia industry which will benefit from further customisation of genotypes adapted to local conditions and lower overall biosecurity risks arising from imports from Asia or other regions.”
Genetic improvement
Diones Almeida, director for GenoMar Genetics Latin America, said: “This new breeding centre will enable us to meet our future infrastructure needs for managing several tilapia breeding programs and deliver genetic improvement to our customers at a faster rate.”
GenoMar distributes its products under the GenoMar, Aquabel and AquaAmerica brands. The company is a subsidiary of German agribusiness giant EW Group, which also owns Norwegian salmon egg producer AquaGen and Aviagen group, the world’s second biggest poultry farmer.
