The National Aquaculture Association of Honduras (Andah) estimates that this year the country will export shrimp for over USD 200 million.
According to the president of the organization, Jacobo Paz, the foreign currency from export earnings would increase by more than USD 24 million in 2013. Larvae farming is being performed and in late April shellfish harvest is expected. Then, the exporting process will start towards the major markets in the US and in Europe.
"This year, it will be possible to reach USD 200 million. The industry is focused on value-added export products that generate the best price," pointed out the leader to the farmers.
Regarding the exemptions that will benefit the shrimp sector, Paz noted that they translate into competitiveness, considering that the country sends abroad 98 per cent of the harvest.
"We are competing with producers from Nicaragua, Ecuador and Asia, where they also have benefits," he stressed.
Shrimp farming generates more than 30,000 jobs in the south of the country and involves risks and large investments.
According to the figures provided by the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH), in 2012 Honduras exported shrimp and tilapia for USD 176 million.
In addition, processing and preserving fish showed a positive variation of 12.7 per cent thanks to the growing production of packaged frozen shrimp (14.4 per cent), the newspaper La Tribuna reported.
On the other hand, the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed that shrimp is at present the third most important export product of the country and the first non-traditional one.
In the south of Honduras (Choluteca and Valle) there are 300 shrimp firms recorded in a farming area of 17,000 hectares.
Globally, the Republic of China, Japan, India and Bangladesh are the major shrimp producing countries. Mexico leads production in Latin America, followed by Brazil, Panama and Colombia.