The proposed P30-million aquaculture feed mill in Tigbauan, Iloilo is a step closer to reality after the Southeast Asian Fisheries and Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-6) forged an agreement for its feasibility study.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao and Dir. Remia Aparri of BFAR-6 on Feb. 7 at the research center’s Tigbauan Main Station which is also the proposed site for the feed mill.
The parties signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) stipulating that BFAR-6 will allocate and transfer P250,000 to SEAFDEC/AQD for the research center to conduct and prepare the feasibility study and related documents for the project, which is envisioned to produce low-cost feeds for local farmers.
The amount will cover all costs such as professional fees, fieldwork activities, needed tests/analyses, communication, transportation, supplies, materials, and related expenses for the report and final document preparation.
SEAFDEC, for its part, will determine whether the project is economically feasible based on set criteria. It will also perform market, technical, financial, socioeconomic, and management feasibility studies.
The signing was attended by the members of the SEAFDEC/AQD’s Executive Committee, scientists, researchers, the feasibility study team, BFAR staff, and Panay Aquafarmers Consumer Cooperative.
