|
THE UK company Lonrho has signed a major deal to supply fish to hundreds of Wal-Mart stores in the United States.
The announcement comes just over a month after Lonrho, which has extensive interests in Africa, expanded its interest in the seafood business. In June it completed a share purchase agreement to acquire a majority 51 per cent equity interest in Cape Town based seafood wholesaler Fish On Line for 3.5 million South African rand (around £317,000 sterling).
This new Wal-Mart deal will see its Oceanfresh unit supply wild hake fillets to nearly 500 stores in the US. Oceanfresh is among the first South African fish businesses to supply seafood to Walmart’s US operations,” Lonrho said in a statement.
The company added: “As a result of this new partnership with Wal-Mart, Oceanfresh has expanded its production capabilities in South Africa and this contract will stimulate over 100 new direct jobs and hundreds of new indirect jobs to meet the new Wal-Mart orders.” Lonhro emphasised that the hake was caught from sustainable sources. The company is approved by the MSC and the World Wildlife Fund.
David Lenigas, Lonrho’s executive chairman, said: “Lonrho’s Oceanfresh division has been diligent in working with the World Wildlife Fund’s sustainable sourcing programme to ensure that fish stocks are properly managed and that catch quotas are within sustainable levels to maintain wild fish stocks for future generations.”
The deal is seen as part of a strategy to expand into in a move designed to tap into America’s growing demand for sustainable fish.
Should people be 'stimulated' to eat white fish alternatives to cod?
