It is reported that BFAR has turned over a P40-million cold storage complex to the local government and the city’s bottled sardines industry. The decision to handover the cold storage facility, which will prolong the shelf life of the fishes, was taken during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to the city. BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr. told that cold storage is vital for sardines bottled by producers in the province.
He further informed that the cold storage facility will provide the producers here a year-round supply of fish. Michael C. Cases, president of the Inglass Sardines of Dipolog Association, or ISDA, which groups 18 manufacturers of bottled sardines, said that lack of cold storage has pushed some of them to stop operating. Late last year, the bottled sardines industry suspended operation for more than four months due to a prolonged lean fishing season.
According to Cases local bottled sardines manufactures are banking on the cold storage facility to ease rising costs of inputs. Sarmiento said that it is the right time to address the sporadic production of processed sardines. He added that at present, during peak season they operate 24 hours to save the freshness of their raw material, but when lean months strike, there is a zero operation. He said the facility will also help manufacturers in their plan to penetrate bigger markets.
