Taprobane Seafoods announces strategic diversification plans to cement its pioneering status

Nathan Sivagananathan - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Dilan Fernando - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Timothy O’Reilly - Managing Director Taprobane Seafoods and Mahela Jayawardena - Director Taprobane Seafoods with the Taprobane Prawn Feed bags.

Taprobane Seafoods, Sri Lanka’s largest and most integrated seafood company is gearing up to announce a host of new strategic initiatives. The company is introducing new shrimp services by leveraging on its first-mover status as the pioneer of SPF Vannamei, a shrimp variety that is disease-free and in line with the Government of Sri Lanka’s law of 2021 to ensure only shrimp coming from disease-free broodstock could be farmed in Sri Lanka. The company owns the only hatchery that brings down broodstock from Hawaii for breeding and has recently been awarded a hatchery on the East Coast by the government. The expansion by the company into shrimp farming will provide more employment opportunities in Sri Lanka, thereby increasing export revenues to develop the national economy.

Adding value for the shrimp farmer, the company launches Taprobane Aqua Services, a one-stop-shop for all aquaculture products and services. The building in Chilaw represents Collaboration, Innovation and Acceleration, showcasing Taprobane’ blueprint to drive a sustainable and eco-friendly shrimp sector through controlled intensification. The benefits to the farmer will be reducing middlemen and paying direct to farmers, thus ensuring good prices; working with the government on policies, regulations and infrastructure (for example, electrification, cannel dredging and roads); helping older generation farmers move more quickly into utilizing new technology; shifting mindsets and onboarding farmers on to new production and platforms; working with the government to change the lingering sentiment that shrimp farming is bad; protecting our environment, and 100% transparency within our sector to ensure human rights are being protected.

Diversifying further, Taprobane launches Taprobane Feed, in collaboration with Skretting, a Norwegian company and a world leader in aquaculture feed, which will pack the feed sold by Taprobane. ‘’Taprobane Group, and its integrated approach, plays the pivotal lead that Sri Lanka needs to embrace the Vannamei shrimp farming opportunity in the right way. Vannamei shrimp farming is a global and competitive industry that requires technical capabilities, some certain level of investments, serious traceability, and sustainability engagements that Sri Lanka has all potential to cope best with and become a major source for top quality products. Skretting, the global leader in aquaculture feed, feels excited to join forces with Taprobane Group in building this level of exigence that Sri Lankan prawn farmers will be proud of’’, said Marc Le Poul General Manager, Nutreco Vietnam & Skretting Excellence Asia.

In yet another strategic move, Taprobane has entered a partnership with UTE (Caterpillar) to offer farmers, equipment on lease or purchase for aquaculture.  One of the main cost components of farming is electricity and Taprobane’ expansion of its shrimp farming business, will be supported by a UTE salesperson at the location where farmers can lease or buy heavy machinery, generators etc., when renovating existing earthen shrimp ponds.

Commenting further, Timothy O’Reilly, Managing Director of Taprobane Seafoods said: “As a pioneer and first-mover in aquaculture, Taprobane Seafoods’ vision for its growth and expansion also encompasses how Sri Lanka can develop this industry as a niche export segment that earns valuable foreign exchange for the country. The series of initiatives we have taken as we enter 2022 reflects Taprobane’ blueprint for building the future of the Sri Lankan Shrimp Industry whilst ensuring diversification and value addition in our operations.”

UTE-CAT Chief Marketing Officer, Anasuya Gunasena commented  “As a company with a 74-yearold history, UTE provides comprehensive solutions across a multitude of industries with the many parts of the company’s operations coming together in one strong brand to enable its smooth journey forward. We have established market leadership across numerous industries we serve. UTE enjoys a close relationship with CAT from the early days of the company. Over the years we have also forged partnerships with many other world leading brands, and currently host an impressive portfolio of international market leaders.”

Nathan Sivagananathan - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Dilan Fernando - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Sathya Rathnayake – Director Taprobane Seafoods, Mahela Jayawardena - Director Taprobane Seafoods and Timothy O’Reilly, Managing Director Taprobane Seafoods.

About Taprobane Seafoods

Established in 2010, Taprobane Seafood has 15 processing facilities, employing over 2000 direct employees throughout the North-Western and Northern Provinces. Its uniqueness stems from the fact that all the employees who work in the processing plants in the North are women, from the security guard to the supervisors and managers including war widows who are the breadwinners of their families. Taprobane Seafoods began its success story with the committed and visionary leadership of Timothy O’Reilly, Dilan Fernando and Sathya Rathnayake. Cheng Niruttinanon – Executive Chairman of Thai Union, also sits on the board of directors of Taprobane Seafoods. Thai Union is the largest seafood company, globally, and its subsidiary, Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, the largest importer of crab and shrimp into the US market. Taprobane has also been certified by FSSC 22000 food safety standard and HACCP risk management system.

Taprobane Seafoods is led by a vision to be the global leader in sustainable and socially responsible aquaculture based on high-quality standards, social responsibility, sustainability, integrity, and success. The company produces premium quality seafood products for iconic brands such as Whole Foods USA, which requires complying with stringent quality and sourcing standards. Taprobane is also the leader and pioneer of pasteurized Blue Swimming Crab and SPF Vannamei Shrimp and is the driving force behind Sri Lanka’s first-ever eco-recommended fishery and Asia’s first-ever Blue Swimming Crab fishery in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. Taprobane was recently awarded the prestigious 3* status by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), the world’s leading certification authority in Aquaculture Practices.

Hon. Kanchana Wijesekera - State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Inland Fish & Prawn Farming, Fishery Harbour Development, Multi day Fishing Activities and Fish Exports, Rev Father Nelson, and Mahela Jayawardena - Director Taprobane Seafoods cutting the ribbon at the opening of Taprobane Aqua Service in Madampe.

Dilan Fernando - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Jayantha Wijeratne – Chairman, NAQDA, Jayantha Chandrasoma – Secretary to the State Minister, Hon. Kanchana Wijesekera, Mahela Jayawardena - Director Taprobane Seafoods, Sathya Rathnayake - Director, Taprobane Seafoods, Nathan Sivagananathan - Director Taprobane Seafoods and Timothy O’Reilly - Managing Director Taprobane Seafoods handing over the first bag of feed to the State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Inland Fish & Prawn Farming, Fishery Harbour Development, Multi day Fishing Activities and Fish Exports.