Thai shrimp exporters should expand markets overseas

A golden opportunity for quick overseas expansion this year is present for Thai shrimp producers and exporters, as the world's huge shrimp producing countries are having fallouts from disease outbreaks and unfavourable weather.

Thai Shrimp Association president Somsak Panitatyasai said the world's giant shrimp producers such as Indonesia are now suffering from the outbreak of the infectious myonecrosis (IMN) disease which has caused Indonesian shrimp output to plunge by 40%.

China, another large-scale shrimp producer, had experienced such cold weather that its farmers are currently unable to raise shrimps. It led to an expectation that China would have an insufficient supply of shrimps domestically and must import nearly 1,000 tonnes of shrimps per month from Thailand.

Given these factors, shrimp prices are likely to edge up this year so this is a great chance for Thai shrimp producers and exports to accelerate expanding new markets, he said.

However, state agencies including the Fishery Department must take strict preventive measures to stop IMN from spreading into Thailand where weather conditions are also volatile.

Thai shrimp exports in 2009 reached 390,395 tonnes, up 8.77% from the previous year, with a total value of THB93.4 billion (US$2.8 billion), up 10.94%. Of this, 70,701 tonnes were shipped to Japan, up 11.93% from the previous year, and 187,635 tonnes to the US, up 3.68%.