In the early 1990s, two friends in India pooled their money to start a seafood company. One owned fishing trawlers, and the other was a civil construction contractor. They hoped to break into the marine export industry to buy shrimp from local farmers and sell them in the international market. They succeeded, and Devi Seafoods was born.
Farm-to-fork traceability
More than two decades later, Brahmanandam Potru—one of those two friends—continues to run the company, now one of India’s largest shrimp exporters and Sysco’s 2018 Gold Supplier for Seafood. Its farm-to-fork traceability, commitment to environmental and social responsibility and meticulous standard for food safety and quality have made it a great partner to Sysco for more than 10 years. “We are an integrated seafood company, with our own farms and processing plants,” says Sree Atluri, Director of Operations. “We work closely with Sysco in adding new items and supporting sustainability—Sysco has a very noble program.”
Sustainable aquaculture in action
“Sysco’s Portico Brand is the leading seafood brand in foodser- vice,” adds Atluri. “And suppliers are required to adhere to Sysco’s product specifications to guarantee consistency. They require their partners adhere to Best Aquaculture Practices [BAP] certifications from the Global Aquaculture Alliance [GAA].” These certifications show a commitment not only to food quality but also to social, economic and environmental impact on regions and countries where shrimp are raised.
Devi’s shrimp farm in the state of Andhra Pradesh, in southern India, uses the latest sustainable aquaculture practices and a high-tech hatchery that provides disease-resistant baby shrimp to its own farm, and to hundreds of farmers who supply raw shrimp to Devi Seafoods.
The company produces a range of basic and value-added shrimp products, including white shrimp as well as Indian black tiger shrimp. The white shrimp are prized for their large size, mild flavor and tender texture. The Indian black tiger shrimp also has a mild flavor and firm texture that can take on strong seasonings such as Cajun spices and garlic.
A world leader in shrimp
As a leader in this sector for many years, Devi Seafoods understands the product needs of diverse markets around the world and has the ability to deliver large volumes globally, which helps Sysco meet the high consumer demand for shrimp. As a customer, you can trust in the overall quality, as all shrimp have been inspected and documented and are traceable from production to consump- tion. That level of dedication is rooted in the principles of both Devi Seafoods and Sysco.
