MLBA15: June / July 2010
The Philippine shrimp industry: Priming up for a comeback
More than a decade thereafter, the local shrimp trade is slowly clawing its way back to the top with efforts being painstakingly worked out by both government and private sectors.
Seemingly, results have been paying off. In 2009, data showed that production of tiger prawn was higher at 49,829.75 tonnes from the previous year's output of 42,342.42 tonnes. According to the data, the 5.49% increment was due to the increased stocking density and area harvested, as well as high survival rate and high demand and good price in the market. Zamboanga Sibugay was the highest producing province, accounting for an increase of 35.11% because of the availability of quality post larvae and less incidence of flash floods.
Similarly, tiger prawn harvests in Zamboanga del Sur grew by 13.60% because of the sufficient supply of post larvae and proper maintenance of ponds. The province of Lanao del Norte also upped production by 13.04% since more operators ventured into shrimp and prawn culture with the availability of inputs, usage of commercial feeds and the re-operation of idle ponds due to market demand.
The above are excerpts, full versions are only available in MEAT & LIVESTOCK Business Asia. For subscription enquiries, email membership@efeedlink.com
