April 30, 2014
Thailand's wholesale shrimp prices depressed ahead of Tier 2 watch list review (week ended Apr 24, 2014)
An eFeedLink Exclusive
Price summary
Wholesale shrimp price continues to plunge down for all shrimp sizes ahead of the Trafficking in Person (TIP) review. Thai Frozen Foods Association is still working with 52 factories after just four factories have been approved by the audit agency before the deadline at the end of June 2014.
The wholesale price for a kilogramme of 50 shrimps has fallen to THB245/kg (US$7.61/kg) from THB270/kg (US$8.39/kg) from last week.
Local wholesale shrimp price for the smaller size of a kilogramme of 70, 80, 90 and -100 shrimps plunged down to THB200/kg (US$6.21), THB185/kg (US$5.75/kg),THB 165/kg (US$5.12/kg) and THB 150/kg(US$4.66) respectively this week, from THB250/kg (US$7.76/kg), THB210/kg (US$6.52/kg), THB180/kg (US$5.59/kg) and THB175/kg (US$5.43/kg) respectively last week..
Market analysis
The reason for deceasing wholesale price for all shrimp size is due to fear of down grade for the Trafficking in Person (TIP) review in September 2014. Current Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) has listed Thailand in Tier 2 Watch List for 4 years and will review again in September 2014, with high risk of Thailand being revised to Tier 3 this year.
SGS is one of authorised auditing agency, which have approved just four factories out of 52 shrimp processing factories for export to the United States.
In the next two months, the market expects only 20 factories to be approved, while the remaining 28 factories will be approved next year. It will affect trade competition in the second half of the year in exporting to the United States.
While under the caretaker government, many factories will need to fend fo themselves in the auditing process. It seems the United States does not accept measures of the Department of Fishery and Ministry of Labour that recently imposed on employment at Thai fisheries.
Local government office in many provinces have urged many processing factories to improve foreign labour employment on fear of down grade from Tier 2 watch list to Tier 3 in the September 2014 review.
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White shrimp prices (in Thai baht) at Thailand's main markets | ||||||
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Unit of Measure: Thai Bhat | ||||||
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Shrimp size |
Mahachai seafood market |
Thai frozen foods association |
Bangkok markets | |||
|
Apr 17 |
Apr 24 |
Apr 17 |
Apr 24 |
Apr 17 |
Apr 24 | |
|
40 pcs/kg |
275 |
250 |
275 |
250 |
320-330 |
320-330 |
|
50 pcs/kg |
270 |
245 |
270 |
245 |
300-310 |
300-310 |
|
60 pcs/kg |
265 |
220 |
265 |
220 |
290-300 |
290-300 |
|
70 pcs/kg |
250 |
200 |
250 |
200 |
280-290 |
280-290 |
|
80 pcs/kg |
210 |
185 |
210 |
185 |
270-280 |
270-280 |
|
90 pcs/kg |
180 |
165 |
180 |
165 |
260-270 |
260-270 |
|
100 pcs/kg |
175 |
150 |
-- |
-- |
250-260 |
250-260 |
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Note: Farm-gate prices are THB10-15 lower than those at Mahachai market. | ||||||
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