General Santos plays host to new salmon, seafood processing factory

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The Philippine’s first and Asia’s newest, if not most modern, salmon and seafood processing and smoking facility was inaugurated on Tuesday here.

The P60-million subsidiary, named Big Glory Bay Salmon and Seafood Company Inc. (BGB), is a joint venture of Prime Foods NZ Ltd. (PFNZ) and Alliance Select Foods International Inc. (ASFII).

PFNZ is the second largest smoked salmon processor in New Zealand while ASFII is the leading tuna manufacturer in the Philippines.

ASFII (formerly Alliance Tuna International, Inc.) operates two canning plants here supplying pre-packaged tuna products to more than 55 countries abroad.

Six out of seven tuna canneries in the Philippines are based in this southern seaport city.

ASFII posted in its website total sales of P2.1 billion in 2010.

The facility, with the capacity of producing two tons of packed salmon daily, is inside the ASFII tuna canning plant in the coastal village of Tambler here.

The plant targets Australia, Asia and Europe as markets for its products.

New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson and Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new plant.

Custodio said the entry of BGB was timely as it will help boost the local economy. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao