Blumar brings processing and jobs back to Magallanes
Salmon farmer invests £820,000 in leasing and re-starting plant after blaze at joint facility
Published
Chilean salmon farmer Blumar plans to re-hire some of the 760 people who lost their jobs when a Magallanes processing plant it shared with Multi X was destroyed by fire earlier this year, reports Fish Farming Expert's Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl.
Following the blaze at the Entrevientos facility in Punta Arenas, the company temporarily had to transport live salmon north by boat to Chiloé for primary processing, and then by truck to Talcahuano for secondary processing. But at the same time, it drew up plans to allow the operation in Magallanes to continue.
The company said in a press release that it has now started the Blumar Magallanes plant, in a formerly closed processing facility that it leases. For the start-up, the company made an investment of close to 1 billion Chilean pesos (£820,000) in the plant, which has a maximum monthly processing capacity of 3,960 tonnes.
450 workers
“This is a very important milestone, as it will allow us to operate efficiently in Magallanes and contribute once again to regional employment, which was strongly impacted by the unfortunate fire in Entrevientos,” said Blumar process manager Fernanda Taboada.
“We hope that at full operation we will be able to have 450 workers, many of them former employees of the plant that was destroyed and with whom we have a firm commitment.”
The plant will produce fresh and frozen salmon fillets and whole salmon, which will allow the company to continue supplying the national and international markets with Magellanic salmon, which currently represents a third of its production.
