December 6, 2007

Indonesian shrimp production below target

Indonesia's Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs (DKP) admits the national shrimp production in 2007 fails to increase significantly from 327,260 tonnes in 2006.

Made Nurdjana, Director General of Aquaculture Development at DKP, said the low output was due to low entry of investments in the shrimp production sector this year. 

The government fixed the shrimp production target at 410,000 tonnes early 2007, up by 17 percent from 350,000 tonnes targeted in 2006. The government was then optimistic on the production plan of the largest shrimp farm in Southeast Asia, PT Dipasena Citra Dharmaja (now PT Aruna Wijaya Sakti).

Although the ownership of Aruna has been shifted to CP Prima, the shrimp farm, with a potential to produce 150,000 tonnes of shrimps annually, only started to operate.

Previously, Shidiq Moeslim, Head of the Indonesia Shrimp Commission confirmed the country would not be able to meet the target of producing 410,000 tonnes of shrimp.

The commission's October shrimp forecast was only 210,000 to 220,000 tonnes.

Shidiq added the projected shrimp production until October 2007 had included the realization of the import of 90,000 tonnes of shrimps.

However, Indonesian officials said the sluggish shrimp production would not continue next year as a new investor would make capital investments in 1,000 to 1,500 hectares of shrimp farms.