When the Jealsa Group from Spain started full operation of the first tuna processing plant in Guatemala in the year 2004, and supported the plant with four tuna superseiners, expectations within the tuna community were high.
However it now looks like the plant is not able to fulfill these high expectations of producing at least 10.000 M/T of frozen pre-cooked tuna loins for the Jelasa group its canning plant in Spain. Jealsa is one of Spain’s major producers of canned tuna, with its Rianxiera brand and a large share of the private label market.
In 2006, deliveries from Guatemala collapsed by 64% and shipments of loins fell from 6.587 M/T to a 2.353 M/T low. Comparing Guatemalan exports of this tuna product through the last four years the decrease was quite dramatic, especially after the strong growth, which was shown from 2004 to 2005.
During the past year, Guatemala provided pre-cooked tuna loins to Spain and Italy. Only 5% of this tuna item went to Italy. The full remaining 95% went to Spain, which was also the sole destination for Guatemalan pre-cooked tuna loins in previous years.
Guatemala’s share of the total European imports of pre-cooked product amounted only 2,85%, when during the previous year it was still 8,46%.
Although, Guatemalan deliveries declined, the combined European imports of loins expanded further by an additional 6% and reached a high of 82.536 M/T.
The main cause for the sharp drop in output from the plant must be sought in the very disappointing catches in the entire Eastern Pacific Ocean, and the limited access of the plant to raw material supplies. The plant was not able to collect sufficient fish from other vessels than from those that were flying the Guatemala flag, and were owned by the Albacora and Jealsa group. In that sense, a parallel can be found in the faith of the loining plant in El Salvador.
The Guatemalan plant, located in the vicinity of Port Quetzal, occupies a surface of 20.000 meters in a parcel of 270.000 meters.
