November 8, 2012

 

Colombia sees 137% rise for shrimp exports during Jan-Aug 2012

 

 

Colombia's shrimp exports rose by 136.6% over the January-August period of 2011 as the government plans to promote new markets for this crustacean.

 

"What matters is not the quantity exported but to be able to demonstrate that it is possible to reach that level and maintain the quality, which is the greatest demand from foreign buyers," stressed the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Sergio Diaz-Granados, when releasing the announcement.

 

Once the logistics phase comes to an end, "exporters are now hoping the result of the production cycle takes place under the conditions that are expected to continue the business with the Asian customer," he added.

 

Through the Research Centre of Aquaculture of Colombia (Ceniacua), the country has already sold 1.2 million shrimp larvaes to China.

 

Apart from China, the domestic shrimp was sent to Spain, France, the US and Uruguay, a country "that has traditionally purchased the product from other suppliers in the region," the minister continued.

 

In the first eight months of last year, the sales of the crustacean had generated US$8.7 million while in the same period of 2012 they totalled US$20.7 million.

 

The central government is considering the possibility of launching a Productive Innovation Park to achieve a more efficient and competitive shrimp farming activity.

 

Furthermore, it is planning to organise a meeting so as to review a feasibility study, which will make it possible to start work on the project in the short term.

 

The idea is to support initiatives in regions without shrimp farming tradition with innovative farming systems and the competitive improvement through the implementation of the companies' social and environmental responsibility programmes.

 

Other priorities are to achieve the simplification of procedures, the rationalisation of the existing standards and the improvement of the human resource capacity.

 

Meanwhile, the industry expects Congress passes the VAT exemption for the shrimp.

 

According to the manager of shrimp farming of the Productive Transformation Programme (PTP), Fernando Bages, Colombia's white shrimp market is in recovery.

 

On being asked about the implications of sending larvae to the Chinese market, Bages commented: "The importance of this white shrimp larvae export to China is that we are selling the genetic material."