(vasep.com.vn) In 2013, Vietnam’s whiteleg shrimp exports hit US$1.58 billion, up 113 percent year on year and making up 50.7 percent of the country’s total shrimp exports which surpassed black tiger shrimp sales with US$1.33 billion, up only 6.3 percent and occupying 42.7 percent of total shrimp sales. In the first month of 2014, the trend was continued.
Whiteleg shrimp made up 61% of the total, black tiger 31%
In January 2014, Vietnam earned over US$258.6 million from shrimp exports including US$157.6 million of whiteleg shrimp sales (making up nearly 61 percent of total shrimp exports) and US$80.64 million of black tiger shrimp sales with the proportion of 31.18 percent.
In 2013, demand for whiteleg shrimp in main consuming markets (the U.S., Japan and EU) soared due to short supply. Sharp decline in global shrimp production, particularly whiteleg shrimp in 2013 was caused by EMS outbreak in two largest shrimp producers of Thailand and China.
EMS on farmed shrimp in Vietnam was well-controlled in 2013, leading a significant increase in the shrimp production. 2013 witnessed a sharp expansion of whiteleg shrimp farming area to 66,000 hectares from 41,800 hectares of 2012 while total shrimp farming area up only 1.6 percent year on year with 666,000 hectares. Accordingly, the output of whiteleg shrimp rose 50.5 percent year on year to 280,000 MT from 186,000 MT in 2012.
In the late 2013, many Mekong Delta provinces stocked shrimp, mainly whiteleg for third crop of the year. In the first shrimp crop in 2014, many households shifted to farm whiteleg shrimp instead of farming black tiger shrimp.
Whiteleg shrimp sales to the U.S. up 337.6 percent
In January 2014, shrimp exports to the U.S. totaled US$86.88 million, up 163 percent year on year. The U.S. is the leading importer of Vietnam shrimp. In January 2014, shrimp sales to the U.S. made up 33.6 percent of the country’s total shrimp exports while in the same month of 2013, the proportion of exported shrimp to the market was only 22.2 percent, equal to exports to Japan.
Positive growth in whiteleg shrimp sales to the U.S. in Jan 2014 showed that Vietnam’s whiteleg shrimps are favored in the U.S. market.
In Jan 2014, shipment of Vietnam whiteleg shrimp to the U.S. touched over US$67.4 million, up 337.6 percent from Jan 2013 (US$15.4 million).
In the month of 2014, shrimp exports to other major markets also reported a sharp surge: exports to Japan and EU up 64.3 percent, exports to South Korea up 143.5 percent, to Australia up 96 percent; however, shrimp exports to China downed 37.7 percent.