Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd. (Tianyun), a leading fish producer, processor and retailer in China with an annual farming and pre-processing capacity of 6,000 tonnes, has invested in Marel equipment to automate some of their most integral processes in order to cater to the high market demand for portioned and sliced trout products effectively and efficiently.
Marel is the leading global supplier of advanced standalone equipment and integrated systems to the fish industry. As the pandemic hit traditional sales in 2020 but boosted online and offline modern retail, Tianyun’s brand ‘Trout Fresh’ seized the opportunity and launched a trout processing project that delivers a wide range of high-quality, convenient products to fulfill consumer demand. With Marel solutions, processes such as slicing and portioning can be automated so that Tianyun can deliver high-quality hygienic products to consumers.
The ambitious project required a new facility that was completed in just 7 months. Most processers in the Chinese aquatic processing industry are SMEs where manual processing is still predominant with low capacity. As such, to tackle the labor crunch as well as to boost capacity, Tianyun is all set to install advanced automated equipment at the new facility. Three Marel machines were installed to create a diversified range of standardised products and reduce labor dependence, namely the Maja Skinner, I-Cut 130 PortionCutter and Multi-Angle Slicer I-Slice 135 MA.
Tianyun compared equipment and solutions from several suppliers around the world before deciding on Marel for its Trout Fresh project was the clear choice. “Marel has a strong reputation in the industry by virtue of its proven technology, reliable equipment performance and low failure rates,” said Zhan Taorong, Deputy General Manager of Xinjiang Tianyun.
“The cutting capabilities of Marel’s slicer for fixed weight or fixed thickness combined with the consistent presentation and the high quality of the end products is something that other suppliers in the market are unable to offer,” said Tian Gang, Production Manager at the company. With machines such as the Maja Skinner, processing trout no longer depends on the expertise and focus of operators.
The domestic trout market in China has seen rapid growth since early 2021 with steady growth in demand from restaurants and retailers. The rapid development of e-commerce channels, like Hema Fresh and Meituan, further drives the sales of portioned and sliced products in small packages.
As demand for high quality and hygienic trout products grew in China, getting highly skilled employees for precision portioning and slicing is becoming more difficult. As such, the automation offered by Marel has solved this major obstacle.
Zhan said that as the domestic trout market is expected to grow further, it is now considering setting up new facilities to increase capacity and ensure facility is as close as possible to end consumers bearing in mind the short transportation radius of fresh products.
Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd. is a fish farming, processing and retail leader located in the trout production base in Nilka County, Ili, Xinjiang. It has been accredited with the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Certification and HACCP certification. The company breeds 8 million trouts per year with an annual capacity of 6,000 tonnes. With the new Trout Fresh project, its capacity will increase to 10,000 tonnes within 3 years. Its successful brands include Tianyun, Tianshan Salmon, and Tianshan Trout amongst others.
