Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke (left), Minister of Industry, Commerce and Technology Phillip Paulwell (centre) and Frederic Millet, project manager for the Jamaican subsidiary of Trans-Global Inc. (United States) survey of lands which are being developed for the Trans-Global Aquaculture Marine Shrimp Project in Longwood, Clarendon yesterday. Behind them are Mac Chen (left), president of Trans-Global and Mark Freeman, vice president. -Rudolph Brown photoUNITED STATES (US) based company Trans-Global Products Inc. is investing close to US$6 million over the next three years in a marine shrimp farm to the east of the Rio Minho in Clarendon.
Construction has begun at Trans-Global Aquaculture Ltd. marine shrimp project in Longwood for the shrimp product that is to be exported to already established markets in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan and Europe. The project is set to generate some 600 jobs when complete.
The company has contracts in the US that require between five and 10 million pounds of shrimp per year, and expects that Europe, specifically Spain and France, will be the secondary markets. Excess production will be sold on the local hotel, resort and cruise ship markets. It aims to achieve total production of 10-12 million pounds of shrimp per year.
"We're producing shrimp we know we can sell," Mark Freeman, vice president of Trans-Global said yesterday. "We've worked on it for 20 years." The company has signed a lease for 50 years, has 1500 acres and will have over 100 different ponds.
Construction on the hatchery has begun and phase two of the project will see the construction of the processing plant in early 2003. Shrimp larvae for stocking the system will initially be purchased from overseas with certifiable disease free stock. The company's hatchery at Longwood will reduce likelihood of disease introduction.
Trans-Global is an established distributor in the US seafood market. Based in Tampa, Florida it has been involved in the import and export of seafood for over 20 years.
Mac Chen, president of Trans-Global, is originally from Taiwan, where his family has controlling interest in a variety of large scale companies involved in the seafood industry.
Mark Freeman is vice president and Frederic Millet is project manager for the Jamaican subsidiary.
Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell told persons at Longwood during the groundbreaking ceremony for the project that the investors will utilise state of the art technology for maximum efficiency.
Two years ago the company presented a proposal for the development of the project to JAMPRO. The company sought assistance in acquiring 600-800 hectares of land and identified the site at Longwood which is part of the Monymusk Sugar Estate. Approvals have been granted by the National Environment and Planing Agency, the designation by the Industry, Commerce and Technology Ministry of single entity freezone status, which provides the benefits of tax relief and duty concessions on raw materials and Cabinet approval to lease sugar lands to Trans Global.
The company has forecast that world demand will continue to outstrip supply. Total projected earnings should reach $US17 million by year three.
