ID :
126037
Fri, 06/04/2010 - 14:02
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http://m.oananews.org//node/126037
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Bright outlook for Thai prawn exports
BANGKOK, June 4 (TNA) - The habitat-destructive Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and shrimp diseases in other shrimp-exporting countries have become a boon for the Thai prawn export industry which increased to 20 per cent of world shrimp last year, while in this year's first quarter, Thai frozen prawns exported to the US market reached a value of Bt8.8 billion (US$268 million), a 19-per cent increase year-on-year, according to the Thai Shrimp Association.
Association president, Somsak Paneetatyasai, said Thai prawns are now in high demand with a tendency of continuous increasing prices as a result of British Petroleum's oil drilling tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico which began in April, an incident which has already caused a 30-per cent drop in the prawn harvest worldwide and has also dealt a blow to US produced prawn products.
According to Mr Somsak, prawn dealers have thus been searching for other sources of the harvest to make up for the lost quantities normally caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
As prawn consumption is still in demand in the United States and US consumers uncertain of the quality of prawns in regard to contamination, Thailand is one of the countries which stand to benefit from the situation, as seen by increasing orders placed by the States for Thai shrimp imports, he said.
Last year, Thailand was the world's top prawn-exporting country with a total 390,000-tonne harvest, or about 21 per cent of world shrimp exports.
The US has been Thailand's number-one importing customer of the marine animal, having seen 190,000 tonnes (48 per cent of overall purchases) imported to the country, counting around Bt45 billion (US$137 million) in 2009.
Mr Somsak said he was confident Thai prawn exports this year will also gain advantages over shrimp from elsewhere.
Not only is the environmental crisis in the Gulf of Mexico a good opportunity for Thailand's shrimp exports, the US recently announced its decision to lower tax collections for Thai companies, good news which is a boon for Thai frozen prawn exports to the US market.
Also, shrimp produce of Indonesia and Brazil, the world's leading prawn producers, is facing a serious infectious myonecrosis (IMN) epidemic, causing their harvests to fall about 40-70 per cent.
Moreover, natural disaster in China has made it hard for the country's prawn yielding to meet its domestic demand.
The Thai Shrimp Association president said Thai prawn farmers should take this opportunity to access new markets during this period when Thailand's main competitors have serious short supply of their own harvest.
Due to the higher demand, shrimp prices in Thailand have augmented, according to Mr Somsak. The price of 100 prawns per kilo; for instance, has reached Bt90 (US$2.76) from the previous Bt77 (US$2.36), and it is tending to gradually rise, he said. (TNA)
Association president, Somsak Paneetatyasai, said Thai prawns are now in high demand with a tendency of continuous increasing prices as a result of British Petroleum's oil drilling tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico which began in April, an incident which has already caused a 30-per cent drop in the prawn harvest worldwide and has also dealt a blow to US produced prawn products.
According to Mr Somsak, prawn dealers have thus been searching for other sources of the harvest to make up for the lost quantities normally caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
As prawn consumption is still in demand in the United States and US consumers uncertain of the quality of prawns in regard to contamination, Thailand is one of the countries which stand to benefit from the situation, as seen by increasing orders placed by the States for Thai shrimp imports, he said.
Last year, Thailand was the world's top prawn-exporting country with a total 390,000-tonne harvest, or about 21 per cent of world shrimp exports.
The US has been Thailand's number-one importing customer of the marine animal, having seen 190,000 tonnes (48 per cent of overall purchases) imported to the country, counting around Bt45 billion (US$137 million) in 2009.
Mr Somsak said he was confident Thai prawn exports this year will also gain advantages over shrimp from elsewhere.
Not only is the environmental crisis in the Gulf of Mexico a good opportunity for Thailand's shrimp exports, the US recently announced its decision to lower tax collections for Thai companies, good news which is a boon for Thai frozen prawn exports to the US market.
Also, shrimp produce of Indonesia and Brazil, the world's leading prawn producers, is facing a serious infectious myonecrosis (IMN) epidemic, causing their harvests to fall about 40-70 per cent.
Moreover, natural disaster in China has made it hard for the country's prawn yielding to meet its domestic demand.
The Thai Shrimp Association president said Thai prawn farmers should take this opportunity to access new markets during this period when Thailand's main competitors have serious short supply of their own harvest.
Due to the higher demand, shrimp prices in Thailand have augmented, according to Mr Somsak. The price of 100 prawns per kilo; for instance, has reached Bt90 (US$2.76) from the previous Bt77 (US$2.36), and it is tending to gradually rise, he said. (TNA)
