The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has officially opened a dried fish processing facility and an ice plant at the Kan’duoiygiri Fish Village.

The facilities were inaugurated this evening at a special ceremony by State Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, Mohamed Muathalib. The event was attended by MIFCO’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mohamed Anas, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and MIFCO.

Speaking to the media after the ceremony, CEO Mohamed Anas said the project marks an important step in expanding MIFCO’s local production, particularly products intended for the domestic market. He noted that establishing production closer to Malé would significantly improve the supply of MIFCO products to shops in the Greater Malé area by reducing logistical challenges.

“One of our biggest challenges has been transporting processed products from Kooddoo to the Malé region. These logistics issues have often led to shortages of products in our retail outlets. With the Kan’duoiygiri dry fish factory, we expect these challenges to be resolved, ensuring a steady supply of our products to the Malé market.” the CEO said.

The CEO added that while products processed in Kooddoo will continue to serve the southern atolls, the new Kan’duoiygiri facility will focus on supplying the Malé market. He also said the expansion of local production will help MIFCO provide products to consumers at more affordable prices.

The new dried fish processing facility has the capacity to process 3 metric tons of fish per day, while the newly opened ice plant can produce 25 metric tons of ice daily.

Production at the facility has already begun with smoked tuna (valhoamas) and dried fish (hikimas). In addition to smoked tuna and dried fish, MIFCO plans to introduce the production of rihaakuru (traditional Maldivian fish paste) and ground dried fish (muguri mas) at the Kanduoiygiri facility in the near future.

The facility has been built using modern fish processing and drying methods and has obtained the necessary approvals to meet high food safety and hygiene standards. It also follows the same rigorous quality control measures applied across MIFCO’s product range. The project marks another significant milestone in MIFCO’s ongoing efforts to modernize its operations.

Kan’duoiygiri was transferred back to MIFCO earlier this year after previously being managed by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) for state purposes. Once the cold storage facility currently under construction is completed, Kan’duoiygiri is expected to become one of MIFCO’s main hubs for the storage and export of fish products from the Maldives.