iFresh Inc., a New York-based Asian American grocery supermarket chain and online grocer, entered into an agreement with Sunray Venus, LLC, an Orlando, Fla.-based farm that specializes in production of bi-valve seeds, bi-valve farming, seafood distribution and the export of seafood throughout the United States. Bi-valves include seafood such as clams, oysters, mussels and scallops. iFresh will be the exclusive customer of Sunray Venus’ seafood. 

Sunray Venus operates one hatchery facility, two nursery facilities and has another facility under construction in Florida. The main hatchery facility is located in Stuart, Fla., with a 4,000-square-foot building on the Indian River Lagoon. The two nursery facilities are located in Port Salerno and Jupiter, Fla., each having about 1,000 square feet, and are used to grow bi-valve seed to larger sizes. The facility under construction consists of a 20,000-square-foot building with an integrated hatchery, nursery and processing facility. Sunray Venus owns the exclusive breeding technology to maintain a seedling survival rate of 80%.

"iFresh is committed to sourcing all of our seafood from responsibly managed aquafarms,” says Long Deng, chairman and CEO of iFresh. “The farmed seafood at iFresh not only provides a high-quality, consistent year-round supply of healthy and delicious protein, [but] it is also raised by farmers determined to become leaders in the environmentally responsible aquaculture. Sunray Venus Clams are popular in French, Italian and Chinese restaurants. We expect our agreement will increase iFresh’s revenues and profits. With this supply agreement, iFresh will continue to offer the highest quality seafood, especially Sunray Venus Clams, from the best sources at reasonable prices.”