INVESTMENT IN ICE BLOCK PRODUCTION IN W SUMATRA WIDE OPEN

Padang, Apr 16 (ANTARA) - Investment in the building of ice block plants is wide open in the regencies and towns in West Sumatra's west coastal areas because the fishermen's needs for ice blocks in these regions have not been fully met.

"Only 60 percent of the need for ice blocks in West Sumatra had been met causing many fishermen to complain about the shortage," head of the West Sumatra marine affairs and fisheries agency Yosmeri said in Padang Friday.

He said there are now only six ice block plants, namely three in Padang, one in Pesisir Selatan, one in Tiku, Agram regency, and another one in Padang Pariaman, but their production reached only 40 tons per day.

Therefore, although the ice block production has reached 250 tons per day, it is still not enough to meet the needs of the local fishermen..

The fishermen in Pasaman Barat had been complaining, because the Padang plant cannot meet their daily need for 15 tons of ice blocks.

The ice block shortages had caused a drop in the earnings of the local fishermen, because of the lack of quality of their fish catch.

This year there is already an investor with a plan to build an ice block plant in Pasaman Barat with a capacity of 30 tons per day.

And he said that there was a plan to move the ice block plant in Cerocok, Pesisir Selatan, to Mentawai islands regency, to meet the needs of the fishermen for ice blocks.