(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In first 2 months of 2016, Vietnam shrimp production and prices showed signs of recovery. The weak supply in February and rising purchase demand for processing and exports pushed raw shrimp prices sharply increase compared with the previous month.
At this time, most of the shrimp farming ponds in the Cuu Long River Delta (Mekong Delta) are in the stage of reclamation waiting for favorable weather to feed shrimp for new crop.
Shrimp prices increased slightly after quite long Lunar New Year holiday, when shrimp processors rushed to purchase of raw materials to process and export.
According to reports from Mekong Delta provinces, brackish water shrimp farming area and production is expanded in first 2 months of 2016. Black tiger shrimp farming area is estimated to reach 413,674 hectares, an increase of 0.2%, with output is about 22,377 tons. Whiteleg shrimp farming area is estimated to reach 10,178 ha, yield at 9,491 tons.
In Ca Mau, prices of black tiger shrimp sized 20 pc/kilo increased by 10,000 VND to 290,000 VND/kilo, size 30 up 20,000 VND to 230,000 VND/kilo, size 40 increased by 5,000 VND to 160,000VND/kilo. Prices for whiteleg shrimp size 70pc increased from 138,000 VND/kilo to 140,000 VND/kilo, while shrimp of size 100 pc/kg has price at 115,000 VND per kilogram...
With recovery signals of domestic shrimp production in the 2 months, experts said that will create the momentum to push exports of shrimp to markets, particularly to markets that Vietnam has signed FTA and TPP as well as ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
To promote production of shrimp, Directorate of Fisheries has plan for production of brackish water shrimp in 2016. In which, black tiger shrimp farming area are stable at 600 thousand hectares (up 1% compared to the year 2015) and the output reached 280 thousand tons, an increase of 4.4% from the year 2015, taking advantage of black tiger farming in eco-regions such as mangrove shrimp, rice- shrimp in South coast in order to keep a competitive advantage and export markets in the world.
Whiteleg shrimp continues to be foster developed in the regions having advantages and good controls of the disease in order to increase production and exports. In particular, the species will be focused to farm in North and Central coastal provinces, intensives farming areas in southern Vietnam. In 2016, shrimp industry strive to have 95 thousand hectares of farming area nationwide and production of 400 thousand tons. Demand for feed must be satisfied in 100% (about 80-100 billions of fingerlings), of which 80% is disease free, meeting shrimp farming demand in the country.
In 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development collaborates with Directorate of Fisheries and other authorities to facilitates shrimp farmers.