Tropical's Growing Farm Cooperative
Tropical has added Piscícola El Rosario to their tilapia farm network. El Rosario is located in the Northwestern region of Colombia in one of the most ideal areas for tilapia production. The company began it's operations in 2009 as a result of a group of Colombian businessmen having an interest in investing in vulnerable regions of the country. Historically, the only jobs available in these regions, were connected to illicit activities where the rate of violence marginalized the local population.
El Rosario's Mission is the well-being of their workers,
the betterment of their quality of life and to treat them well
to make them better Colombian citizens.
This project has created a very positive social impact and has contributed to the strengthening of the local economy with the development of suppliers of products and services. More than 130 positions were created between the farm and plant operations.
El Rosario's modern processing plant is strategically located at the farming facilities which makes it possible to harvest the fish, process it and pack it all within 30 minutes. Additionally, they have a rendering plant where they process the by-products of the tilapia to create a product that has commercial value. Along with creating a reusable product, they are mitigating the possible environmental impact of tilapia production by considerably reducing waste and supplying tilapia meal and fish oil to the feed industry.
Piscicola El Rosario is a very important partner in our network of farms and processing plants in helping us grow and guarantee continuity of supply. Because our fish are grown in a variety of locations, we are better able to avoid unexpected obstacles or delays, such as local weather or transportation issues. This allows us the flexibility to substitute any days' harvest. Despite our complex structure, our proprietary and third party tracking systems enable us to trace each fish back to the source.
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Visit Us at Booth #333 - IBSS 2012
If you've never stopped by our booth during IBSS, this is the year to do it! We can't give away all our secrets now, but two of the recipes that Chef Stanti will be preparing are: Shrimp Mushroom Stew and Tilapia with a Balsamic Glaze. We will have a couple of other products being cooked up as well, so be the first to try these new and delicious items! If you would like to schedule a meeting with anyone from our team please feel free to do so - we look forward to seeing you in Boston! |
Certification Corner
Want to understand more about the various certifications that are out there? We can help! Each month we will pose a frequently asked question as well as an answer. We will discuss certifications that Tropical currently carries throughout our production group.
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| Q: What are the common issues covered by different certification schemes?
A: The minimum criteria in aquaculture certification standards are: (a) animal health and welfare, (b) food safety and quality, (c) environmental integrity and (d) social responsibility. The extent to which a certification scheme seeks to address the issues in all or some of these four areas depends on the objectives of the scheme. For example, ISO 14001 has a very strong environmental component, SQF focus mainly on food safety and quality, the International Standards for Responsible Tilapia Aquaculture (ISRTA) have a very strong social and environmental component while the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and GlobalGap cover all of them.
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Staff Notes
John Schramm - Top 100 Most Powerful Executives
John, Tropical's Founder, was recognized this month by being included as one of the 100 Most Powerful Executives in the Seafood Industry. Intrafish published the first ever Issue of Seafood Executive this month in which the Top Executives of the industry were listed. John was recognized as helping shape the fresh tilapia market in the United States.
Craig Appleyard - NFI Future Leaders
Craig, VP of Operations and Business Development, has been selected as the 8th Tropical employee to participate in the National Fisheries Institutes' Future Leaders program. Craig looks forward to meeting his fellow 'classmates' in Boston. Congratulations Craig!
Birthdays At Tropical
This month, Customer Service Representatives, Chris Doane and Dana Zawacki celebrate their birthdays for the 8th and 6th time respectively at Tropical. Happy Birthday!
Tropical Anniversaries
Marie "Breezy" Jackson, Staff Accountant, celebrates her 4th year at Tropical. Thanks for your hard work Breezy!
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Featured Recipe
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Whole Fried Tilapia
THINKKOREAN! This dish will have your guests walking into the kitchen to find out what's cooking! And the presentation will 'wow' them away! Click here for this recipe.
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Questions? Comments? Contact us by email or or call us toll-free at 1-800-277-3459 www.eattilapia.com
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