With EMS laying competitors low, it's a good time for the Philippines to step up its game. The Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is creating a shrimp 'roadmap' to increase local shrimp production and exports, BFAR Director Asis Perez told Business World.
“Secretary Alcala has instructed me to complete the roadmap on or before Aug. 30 because they are targeting to implement the program in six months,” said Perez.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters last week that he has already met with key players in the industry and has decided to conduct a crash course for the local shrimp industry.
“To enable them to export in six months, we shall conduct a crash program. It is the right time to take advantage of the global demand for shrimp, especially [given] that other Asian countries have been afflicted by disease,” said
Alcala, adding that demand from Japan and the US for white and tiger shrimp continues to rise. Perez also noted that the country has already been shipping shrimp to Japan, US, and some parts of Europe.
To protect the local shrimp industry from the Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) that affected Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Malaysia, the Philippines has suspended the importation of live shrimp species to the country.
EMS is characterized by slow growth, corkscrew swimming, and pale coloration on infected samples. According to Bureau of the Agricultural Statistics (BAS) data, tiger prawn output in the first half of the year fell by 6.18 percent to 22,480 metric tons from 23,960 metric tons the same period last year.
The value of tiger prawn production in the first half of the year, at current prices, totaled PHP 9.14 billion (€156.8 million/$209.2 million), 4.89 percent down from last year’s PHP 9.61 billion (€164.8 million/$219.9 million).
“We experienced a setback before, but our local shrimp industry may now recover through the roadmap,” said Acala.