Bangkok--4 Jun--Thai Shrimp Association
Mr. Somsak Paneetatyasai, President of Thai Shrimp Association revealed that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has impacted the Gulf fishing, causing the shrimp fishery declined more than 30%. The disaster has threatened the U.S. shrimp industry since the production was severely damaged and the lack of consumer confidence in the country.
In response to a continuing high demand for shrimp consumption, the U.S. market is looking for other import sources to replace the quantity of shrimp lost from the oil. This creates an opportunity to Thai shrimp industry due to more orders of frozen shrimp from the U.S., apart from the price of export shrimp rising 20% from the period. In the first quarter of year 2010, Thailand exported frozen shrimp worth 8,800 million baht or increase 19% compared to same period last year.
Thailand is the world’s biggest shrimp exporter with 390,000 tonnes or 21% last year, about half or 190,000 tonnes (48%) value 45,000 million baht was exported to the U.S. market, as the number one shrimp importer of Thai shrimp.
Mr. Somsak is confident that 2010 will be the great year for the Thai shrimp industry. Apart from the Gulf oil situation, the reduction of the U.S. anti-dumping duties on Thai shrimp, the disease outbreak (Infectious Myonecrosis) in Indonesia and Brazil, the natural disaster in China, all lead to more shrimp exports on Thailand.
In Thailand, an increase in demand causes higher shrimp prices. The price is now about 90 baht per kilogramme for 100 heads per kg. size shrimp, compared to 77 baht from the prior period, and the price is expected to continue rising in the future.
Mr. Somsak Paneetatyasai, President of Thai Shrimp Association