Tuesday 24 Mar 2026
MIFCO and CMEC sign MoUs to advance fisheries infrastructure, including cold storage and processing facilities in Th. Hirilandhoo, Addu, and G.Dh. Thinadhoo, March 21, 2026. (X Photo/Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources)
The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has entered into three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to modernize and expand national fisheries infrastructure. Centered on the Addu Fisheries Complex, the partnership aims to establish advanced chilled-fish processing and export facilities. Additionally, the initiative covers the development of cold-storage and blast-freezing operations in Th. Hirilandhoo and G.Dh. Thinadhoo. This collaboration is designed to enhance supply-chain efficiency and bolster the value of Maldivian fish exports on the international market through significant upgrades to processing capacity and technological infrastructure.
The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to establish new chilled‑fish processing and export facilities in Addu City, along with major cold‑storage upgrades in two additional islands.
The agreements were signed at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, with senior officials from both MIFCO and CMEC in attendance.
According to MIFCO, the partnership aims to expand the company’s cold‑storage capacity and strengthen fish processing and export operations. A key component of the initiative is increasing procurement and storage capacity at the Addu Fisheries Complex, where a modern chilled‑fish processing and export factory will be developed.
The project also includes establishing cold‑storage and blast‑freezing facilities in Th. Hirilandhoo and G.Dh. Thinadhoo, and expanding the fish purchase and chilling operations in Thinadhoo.
MIFCO said its collaboration with CMEC, one of China’s largest engineering corporations, will support the sustainable growth of the Maldives’ fisheries sector, improve supply‑chain efficiency, and boost national efforts to add value to fish products for export.
