CPF tips the scales with its newly bred 'morakot' catfish
To serve rising fish consumption, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has successfully developed a new cross-breed of fish called morakot, which offers a rich source of protein with good taste and at a low price.
The new fish was created by cross-breeding the Mekong giant catfish and Thai panga fish, which is also a catfish species. The fish was launched on the market recently after three years of development at CPF's experimental breeding farms. "You could say the morakot is like a baby Mekong giant catfish, but it has better, softer flesh than its parent. Moreover, consumers can get the fish throughout the year," said CPF vice president Adit Krisanawong. The Mekong giant catfish is generally caught at only one time of the year, and so its price is quite high. The morakot offers fans of the fish a similar taste while it is out of season. More and more Thai consumers having been turning to fish due to the emergence and spread of diseases among poultry and livestock. However, fish consumption in Thailand is still lower than in developed countries, at 32 kilograms per person per year, compared with 80kg in Japan and 70kg in the US. Freshwater species make up only one-third of the fish consumed in Thailand. Adit said the company foresaw good business prospects for freshwater fish, with consumption growing by 7-10 per cent currently. CPF rears the morakot on farms in Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi and has so far been able to put only 50-70 tonnes on the market each month, which is less than market demand. The company plans to increase production to 300 tonnes per month to meet the projected demand of 3,500-4,000 tonnes next year. The ex-farm price is Bt37-Bt42 per kilogram, and the retail price Bt70. Despite morakot's being relatively new, CPF has already received orders from the KFC fast-food chains in Malaysia and Singapore, which use the fish as the main ingredient in their special sandwich. The company has prepared a total of 400 tonnes of the fish for export. The new breed is easy to rear in fish cages and can be farmed along rivers or other flowing water environments. CPF plans to expand farming of the fish to neighbouring countries that have long rivers and plentiful water supply, such as Laos and Burma.
Achara Pongvutitham The Nation
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