Reflecting a decrease in the prices at which the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) is now purchasing tuna from fishermen, the market-price of canned-fish products have also been reduced.

MIFCO announced that a case of tuna chunks in oil cans could now be bought for MVR 575, down from the earlier price of MVR 640. The price of each can has decreased from MVR 13.05 to MVR 12.25.

MIFCO also revealed that the prices for cans of tuna chunks in brine would now cost MVR 11.25 instead of the previous price of MVR 12.05, and that a following this decrease in prices, a case could be purchased for MVR 530 as opposed to the earlier price of MVR 595.

"Fasmeeru" brand canned-fish is extremely popular among Maldivian consumers, with the first factory to produce such canned-fish products from the catch brought in by Maldivian fishermen having opened in the country on 3 February 1978. Back then, the canning factory had only been able to process and can eight metric tonnes of fish a day.

Now, MIFCO's factory has a daily capacity of processing and canning 50 metric tonnes of fish, with different products dedicated to households and businesses.

MIFCO's "Felivaru" factory produces canned-fish products and fish pouches in family-sizes and jumbo-packs for restaurants and other businesses. 10 to 12 containers of canned fish are loaded and shipped to different islands of the Maldives every month.

These products are also exported to international markets as in the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle-East and Africa, where they continue to be received well with increasing popularity among foreign consumers.