Thai shrimp exports to US up marginally in Q1

 

 

The Office of Agricultural Economics reported that in the first quarter of this year, Thai shrimp exports to the US increased by 20.95% to 87,998 tonnes, with a value of THB20.04 billion (US$615.57 million), up 26.01%.

 

However, it warned that the figures showed the lowest growth in five years.

 

Secretary-general Apichart Chongsakul said farmers should be more careful in expanding production to avoid a surplus and falling prices in the future.

 

The increased exports came after US importers shifted to place more orders in Thailand to offset lower imports from Indonesia and China, which were both suffering from a virus epidemic that had damaged production in those two countries.

 

Panisuan said Thai exporters and farmers should consider the fact that the export figure hit a lowest record this year, noting that farmers should maintain export quality by catching only mature shrimp, otherwise exports in the second quarter might not increase.

 

However, he said shrimp export still had a bright export future because consumers were turning to seafood.

 

Meanwhile, Thai shrimp shipments are forecast to rise by about 5% this year as the outbreak of infectious myonecrosis virus in shrimp farms in Indonesia and Brazil and a lower catch in the US due to an oil spill off Louisiana benefit Thai producers, Panisuan added.

 

Earlier, Thai seafood exports have received minimal impact from the riots in Bangkok with only a small volume of cargoes being delayed at the capital's ports, according to reports.

 

The protests that forced the government to announce national holidays for the entire week interrupted export procedures and delayed some shipments, said Panisuan Jamnarnwej, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association.

 

In the first three months of this year, Thailand exported frozen shrimp worth US$587 million, a rise of 34% over the same period last year.