Market: During week 17 there was a slight rise in domestic consumption of shrimp and prawn in Japan, both for the traditional consumption of summer/spring as the proximity of the Golden Week.
This week, between 29 April and from 3 to 6 May, there are many celebrations, appropriate to eat out. According to some observers, this year will not register a significant consumption as in other years, due to the financial situation in Japan.
For many years, the JPY has been getting weaker and prices have been impacted by the consequences. Although, contraty to their interests, the wholesalers pushed prices of products down, it was not enough to attract consumers. The purchase price of wholesalers increased gradually but the efforts did not compensate the results.
Taking the seriousness of the situation into account, low inventories favor the maintenance cost. The lack of some counts of vannamei shrimp, especially the most important producer –Thailand-, was the reason for other equivalent counts to go forward in this market. That was the case of pink shrimp (Pleoticus meulleri) from Argentina: through 31 March Japan had imported almost 7.5 million tonnes of this variety, against the 6 million tonnes of vannamei. The average import price was JPY 1,520/kg C&F Japan, against JPY 974/kg of that from Argentina.
To boost consumption and keep up with the Golden Week, imports of vannamei consisted of PUD HLSO shrimp.
Prices are thought to decline and become acceptable owing to the beginning of new harversts of ultramarine producers.
Contrary to what happened in previous years, some producing countries will go back to black tiger productions, a variety that registers a high demand in Japan. That is the case of Indonesia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Prices
Prices, variation and availability of farmed black tiger HLSO
in boxes of 1.8 kg, through 20 April, in USD/kg EXW Tokyo
|
HLSO Count(pc/lb)
|
Black tiger (farmed)
|
|
Vietnam
|
India
|
Indonesia
|
|
x 1.8 kg
|
x 1.8 kg
|
x 1.8 kg
|
|
8/12
|
23.77 -
|
25.07 *
|
24.52 +
|
|
13/15
|
20.09 -
|
21.79 +
|
22.34 +
|
|
16/20
|
18.46 -
|
16.89 -
|
19.07 +
|
|
21/25
|
17.37 -
|
16.35 -
|
18.53 +
|
|
26/30
|
16.29 +
|
14.17 -
|
15.26 +
|
|
31/35
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
31/40
|
14.22 +
|
11.99 +
|
13.08 +
|
|
36/40
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
41/50
|
11.40 -
|
10.90 +
|
11.99 +
|
Prices, variation and availability of marine white and
flower shrimp HLSO and farmed PUD HLSO vannamei shrimp,
in boxes, through 20 April, in USD/kg EXW Tokyo
|
HLSOCount(pc/lb)
|
Marine white
|
Marine flower
|
Vannamei (farmed)
|
PUD Count(pc/lb)
|
farmed
|
|
India
|
Indonesia
|
India
|
Indonesia
|
Thailand
|
Thailand
|
|
In 2.0 kg
|
In 1.8 kg
|
In 2.0 kg
|
In 1.8 kg
|
In 1.8 kg
|
In 1.8 kg
|
|
8 /12
|
22.56 -
|
28.34 -
|
22.07 +
|
Unquoted
|
unquoted
|
21/25
|
n/a
|
|
13/º15
|
19.62 -
|
22.89 -
|
19.13 +
|
15.81 -
|
16.89 +
|
26/30
|
17.98
|
|
16/20
|
15.21 -
|
17.98 -
|
15.7 +
|
14.17 -
|
16.35 +
|
31/40
|
17.44
|
|
21/25
|
14.72 -
|
16.89 -
|
13.24 +
|
13.62 -
|
15.26 +
|
41/50
|
15.81
|
|
26/30
|
12.75 -
|
15.26 +
|
12.26 +
|
13.08 -
|
14.17 +
|
51/60
|
11.99
|
|
31/35
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
61/70
|
11.44
|
|
31/40
|
10.79 -
|
13.08 +
|
11.28 +
|
12.53 -
|
13.08 +
|
71/90
|
10.36
|
|
36/40
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Unquoted
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
41/50
|
9.81 -
|
Unquoted
|
9.81 +
|
Unquoted
|
11.99 -
|
-
|
-
|
|
51/60
|
n/a
|
Unquoted
|
Unquoted
|
Unquoted
|
11.44 +
|
-
|
-
|