Shrimp Material Shortage Alert for Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta seafood processors will be faced by shrimp material shortage in the coming months due to reduced breeding area, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep) warned.
Diseases affecting shrimp and competition from fish breeding and salt cultivation are the major reasons for the decrease of shrimp breeding area, the Vasep said.
As of late April 2008, Mekong Delta provinces of Tieng Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang dedicated 420,000 hectares to shrimp breeding, down from nearly 500,000 hectares late last year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, total shrimp area affected by diseases hit 64,000 hectares, accounting for 15 per cent.
The Mekong Delta region is the biggest shrimp breeding area in Vietnam, accounting for 90 per cent of the country’s total shrimp production output.
In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam exported 27,500 tons of shrimp valued at US$228.5 million, a 14 per cent year-on-year increase in terms of volume, but a 5.8 per cent year-on-year decrease in value.
The country expected to earn US$1.68 billion from shrimp exports this year, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of the country’s total seafood export earnings. (Vasep)
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