Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company

The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited, short MIFCO or Mifco, is a Maldivian State-owned companies. Mifco was founded on 1 November 1993 with the aim to bring together the governmental activities for processing and export of fish products.

Markets and Products

Mifco takes the approach, as environmentally friendly to produce and market products that are 100 percent Maldivian origin of its products. The main markets are the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Main product of the Mifco are different types of tuna ( yellowfin tuna and Bonita ), which are processed and sold in different forms. So also fresh fish and frozen fish is exported besides tuna canned in oil, water and various dressings. Mifco is also a major producer of fish meal.

Fleet

Our own fleet of Mifco consists of 20 fishing boats, three boats for fishing with longline and is complemented by a transport ship and a tanker. The five members of the fleet reefer vessels have a capacity of 2000 tons (t). Also boats of local fishermen work for Mifco and supply the boats collecting and processing sites.

Quality assurance

The Company and its processing companies are certified according EFSIS (European Food Safety Inspection Service ), HACCP, CLAS ( Campden Laboratory Accreditation Scheme) and ISO 9000. The factories of Mifco be partially monitored by independent testing institutes and organizations, just to ensure a consistent quality for the major markets of Europe and Asia.

Processing sites

Felivaru Fisheries Complex

In 1977, on the island of Felivaru Felivaru Fisheries Complex ( FFC) opened as a joint venture between the GoM and a Japanese company and operated a packing plant for food cans t with a power of 8. As the Japanese partner companies got out in 1982, the government decided to take over the factory. The plant capacity was increased in 1982 and 1986 to 50 tonnes. Today the capacity is 85 tons per 8- hour shift.

FFC manufactures its own cans and also produces up to 250 tonnes of fish meal per day. Felivaru is capable of 15 tons of ice from salt water and 80 tonnes of produce from fresh water and about 100 t to store ice. Furthermore, cold storage capacity for 750 tonnes of fish available and the freezing of 40 tonnes of fish per shift is possible.

Koodoo Fisheries Complex

The catch of the fishermen of the southern regions was formerly taken up by collecting ships and taken to the processing facilities in the north. In order to improve the quality, was on koodoo, an island which was referred to the 19th century as Kubuddoo, planned a fish buying and export facility due to its proximity to the four major fishing island Vilingilli, Maamendhoo, Dhaandhoo and to the north of the atoll Thinadhoo. The koodoo Fisheries Complex (KFC ) in the south of the Maldives was commissioned in 1996.

Today, KFC is capable of 450 tons in 24 hours to freeze and has storage capacity for 2,000 tons. The landing site is suitable for vessels up to 2500 tons capacity. To supply the fishermen with ice, and thus increasing the quality of the delivered fish an ice production with a capacity of 80 tonnes per day was installed by Mifco.

A specialty of KFC is the production of katsuobushi from the Bonito. It is one of the foundations for the dashi in Japanese cuisine. Processing is carried out there under technical and quality monitoring by Japanese specialists. The plant was expanded in 2003 and today 40 t Katsuobushi per month for export to Japan forth.

KFC has two seawater desalination plants, the desalted 1000 tonnes of water per day. In addition, there is storage space for each 800 tons of water and fuel.

Kan'du Oiy Giri Fish Village

The operation of the Kandu Oiy Giri Fish Village ( KFV ) began on 26 February 1999. KFV was planned from the outset for the production of fresh fish products to penetrate the fresh fish markets in Japan and Europe. Therefore KFV is just 6 kilometers from Malé International Airport.

KFV has quickly become one of the largest exporters of frozen products to Europe. 2003, the establishment has been extended to provide fish in sashimi - quality for the Japanese market. These products are usually fished with linen, cooled and then flown by air to Europe and Asia. 95 percent of the fish come so KFV to Europe.

When Mifco 1997 decided to re-enter the market for fresh fish, you went out to find an uninhabited island in the vicinity of the airport and the capital, Malé, otherwise the transport path for the building materials would have been too far. On Kandu Oiy Giri as the complete infrastructure with processing equipment, seawater desalination, cooling, and the offices and accommodation for the workers was rebuilt.

To start up the island and a new harbor was filled. Around the island breakwater was built to create a safe anchorage for fishing boats.

Per day can be produced 10 tonnes of vacuum - packaged fish. Besides tuna swordfish and marlin is processed for export, which is carried out to 88 percent in the United Kingdom. Apart from the above products, special products for the local market are manufactured.

Addu

Beginning of the 21st century Mifco decided to build a new factory for the processing of fresh fish and the production of katsuobushi. Again, a place near an international airport, namely the airport in Gan was chosen, which is located in Addu Atoll. Also a regional port on the island of Hithadhoo should be developed through the establishment of Addu fresh fish factory.

The factory was to process 15 tonnes yellowfin tuna and the production of 20 t and 50 Katsuobushi planned t of ice per day. For the factory a 210 m long pier to be built and a complete infrastructure to be created.

Work in Addu should be completed in June 2005 and create 140 jobs. However, it is not known whether the project was completed.

Others

• To improve the supply of the Maldives and expanding the use of koodoo and thus the KFC bananas, papaya, pumpkin, eggplant and peppers were cultivated on the island. Furthermore, grow coconut, horseradish tree and breadfruit tree of course on the island.
• Mifco marketed since 1998 under its own brand name " Fasmeeru " in the Maldives a variety of its own products. The products offered are tailored primarily to the Maldivian taste and consist mainly of smoked and dried as Skipjack, one of tuna, and " Rihaakuru ", a local delicacy. The marketing of Fasmeeru done in addition to the delivery to shops also have their own shops in Malé.