A cold storage facility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that will soon rise in Zamboanga del Norte next year is expected to create new jobs and increase exports for sardine producers in the province, agriculture officials said. In a report to Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture (DA), BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. said the cold storage plant, which can accommodate as much as 400 metric tons (MT) of fish, will likewise boost the production of local sardine bottlers that can only operate seasonally because of the lack of modern facilities to preserve the quality of their fish catch. Sardines, locally known in Zamboanga del Norte as “malangsi” and “toloy” are highly seasonal. Catches peak during the months of February to June at which times, fish prices can drop to as low as P10 per kilo. However, the fish easily spoils because of its high fat content at normal temperatures, he said. The province, specifically the cities of Dapitan and Dipolog are known for its bottled sardines, which are now becoming popular in overseas markets like the United States with large concentrations of expatriate Filipinos. “With the cold store plant, sardine bottling could operate on a year-round basis as the availability of quality fish could be guaranteed,” said Sarmiento in his report to Yap . “Local producers would also be able to increase their export volume and more jobs would be created as the operations of the plant become more regular.” Recently, President Arroyo turned over a check for P40-million to Zamboanga Norte Governor Rolando Yebes to jumpstart the establishment of the cold storage facility, which will be located in Dapitan City. At least 20 processors employing 5,000 workers engaged in catching, processing and marketing of sardines are currently operating in the province, pumping in some $1.6 million in foreign exchange per year to the economy, Sarmiento said. Records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics show that country's export of sardines ranked sixth in terms of value at $16.9 million (roughly equivalent to P782.5 million) in 2007. Sardine products are either fresh/chilled/frozen, smoked, preserved or bottled. The top five major fishery exports are tuna, seaweeds, shrimp/prawn, crabs/crab fats and octopus. The country's total production of Indian sardines or “tamban” in 2007 was 134,309 MT or 11.3 percent of the 1.192 million MT of commercial fisheries production.
