Cod with national seal will now be available during the upcoming festive season. "The product is already being sold in commercial areas, namely in Maxi stores, as it is an initial project in partnership with it, an agreement was reached between Atlântico Foods and Maxi until December 31st", informed the company, which, speaking to VerAngola, added that "prices are around 9000 and 10,000 kwanzas per kilogram, approximately".
But where did the idea of investing in cod production come from? The answer has to do with the fact that the company intends to "meet consumers' needs".
"Atlántico Foods' principle is to innovate and meet the needs of Angolan consumers, the cod tradition is implemented in Angolan culture, for this reason and after a few months of testing, we decided to move forward with production", says Atlântico Foods.
For this process, the company made an initial investment of 50 million kwanzas. However, it intends to increase this number starting next year. "We already have an approximate investment for this initial phase of around 50 million kwanzas, but an increase in investment of around 250 million kwanzas is already scheduled for the first quarter of 2024", informed.
Production, from raw materials to consumables, is entirely national, points out the company, adding that the quality of the product is similar to imported products.
"The entire process from scaling, salting and drying is exactly the same as the production of imported cod, which is why they are very identical in texture and taste", explains Atlântico Foods, speaking to VerAngola.
According to the company, the production of cod – which takes approximately 20 to 25 days from the time it enters the factory until it is ready for sale – aims to initially serve the domestic market. However, the company does not rule out the possibility of exporting cod 'made in Angola'.
In this sense, adds, they already have "some contacts for export, but it is still too early" to come forward "with some data about this possibility".
In an interview with VerAngola, the company revealed that the "volume of cod produced until the beginning" of this month was around 23 tons.
"We started production in the second half of October, and what we produced was not enough to meet demand, given that we are in a festive season with a large consumption of cod", says the company.
Regarding a possible increase in production capacity, Atlântico Foods states that this will be decided by the consumer: "The final consumer will dictate the increase in production, depending on demand".
However, they say they are "confident" about accepting cod. "We are confident in the acceptance of the product, as we have already received signs of approval from the consumer regarding the product", points out the company.
Regarding possible changes that cod production in the country could bring to the national economy, the company considered "the possibility of finding a national product similar in every way to the imported product at much lower costs, thus contributing to the country's economy, complemented also with the salt industry".
Atlântico Foods is a company governed by Angolan law, based in the Polo Industrial de Viana and dedicated to the processing and transformation of national fish and which employs approximately 70 employees, mostly nationals, and has the 'Made in Angola' seal.
"We bear the 'Made in Angola' seal with enormous pride because with national production we all stand to gain, namely the end consumer in obtaining products with lower costs, and increasingly of excellent quality", he said, speaking to VerAngola.
As for next steps, the company says that it currently intends to "maintain efficiency, professionalism and quality throughout the entire processing line", bringing "always the best that the sea gives us to the table of all Angolans", as well as being "prepared" for new challenges.
