Wednesday, December 20, 2000

Fishing for new ways to profit Carp farmers turn to electronics and exports to offset falling prices By Leah Bower As water tanks filled with live carp adorn Prague sidewalks near Christmastime -- the most visible sign of the country's fish-farming industry -- the faltering business also is getting a boost from exports, mad cow disease and electronics. As domestic carp consumption falls, and prices tumble with it, farmers are banding together and taking a novel approach to increasing business. The Czech Fish Association, for one, has been working to boost local sales by keeping Christmas carp prices as low as possible, marketing director Bohumil Vacha said. The association also is trying new avenues, like an unusual agreement with consumer electronics maker Philips that provides anyone buying a Philips Electronics product with a free carp. The company gets a boost too, not necessarily in sales, but in connecting with its target audience: families, according to Ludek Jiru, deputy marketing manager for Philips Czech Republic. "For the Czech people, carp is a symbol of Christmas," he said. Some of the country's 34 carp farmers are struggling as domestic prices have dropped to 49 Kc ($1.22) per kilogram from almost 54 Kc in 1999, which was a money-losing year. Others, like Karel Nusl, a technician at carp farm Blatenska ryba, say business is healthy, with falling prices being offset by an increase in production. Overall, the country's farmers are expected to harvest 16,700 tons of carp this year, an increase of 250 tons. Carp surplus Nusl said warm weather in 1998 and 1999 meant an unusually high number of young carp are maturing this year. Improvements in carp farming techniques also have contributed to increased production, he said. But Czech farmers have had to turn increasingly to exports to survive, and today they ship almost half of their harvest out of the country. The fish are sold fresh, smoked and frozen year-round in places like Germany, Belgium and Italy. About 1,800 tons of carp are also processed into items such as fish sticks. A Czech tradition since the 1800s, holiday dinners with carp started as a poor man's substitute for the deer, fish and turkey the upper classes ate on Christmas Eve. Now the fish is served fried, boiled or medieval-style -- drowned in a dark sauce thickened with raisins, prune preserves and gingerbread crumbs. It's a tradition also seen in Bavaria. The week before Christmas, domestic daily carp sales can peak at 10 tons of fish in a single supermarket. In addition, Prague residents line up to buy carp at street-side water tanks. "About 90 percent of all fish in the Czech Republic is sold during Christmastime," Nusl said. Almost all of the carp produced in the Czech Republic is grown in ponds, many that are hundreds of years old. The fish stay in a pond for four to five years before they reach the size seen in stores and Prague street-corner tanks. Once the fish are large enough for sale, the carp ponds are drained and the fish are transferred to water-filled casks, then transported to maturation ponds filled with clean water. After two months, they hit the streets. "It takes a long time to grow a carp, but this guarantees quality," Vacha said. "Fish meat matures like wine." While carp isn't the only fish raised in ponds around the country -- trout, pike and perch are also farmed -- it accounts for all but 2,300 tons of fish produced. Health food Even though local sales of carp may be down, Vacha said overall demand for Czech carp in other countries is growing, as health becomes an issue for diners worldwide. The recent mad cow scare may also be providing a boost, Vacha said. Unlike most cattle, chickens, lamb and pigs, Czech carp are raised on a healthy diet, including pond plants and other vegetable matter. Blatenska ryba's Nusl agrees. The farm exports half of the carp it grows, and Nusl said he has noticed an increased interest in fish since the resurfacing of worries over tainted beef. "We don't feed our carp with animal mixtures, so there is no danger of mad cow disease," he said. With the increased demand for healthy alternatives to beef and increased concern about cholesterol, Vacha said he doesn't expect Czech fish farms to be consolidating or failing any time soon. "This product is completely in line with all eco-trends," he said. "We are convinced this industry will develop well." Leah Bower's e-mail address is lbower@praguepost.cz More business stories Cool reception Protests, land deals give foreign investors headaches Industrial program packs it in Revitalization Agency proved too inefficient Plastic payments on the rise More retailers taking credit cards, but trust still keeps usage low Movers & Shakers Compaq shuffles sales team e-World Cyber cinema Internet offers growing options for independents Internet gateways partner for survival Centrum.cz hopes regional alliance will boost chances Online software cuts costs Kal's Korner