After setting a record of USD 4.3 billion worth in exports, the shrimp sector mounts an effort to remain the output and export value in 2023. However, with predicted difficulties in 2023, this will be a challenging task which requires hard effort from the sector to assure bumper crops so that businesses will be provided enough materials for processing and exporting.

Improve productivity
On March 03, the Conference of shrimp development in 2023 was held in Sóc Trăng by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in association with Sóc Trăng provincial People’s Committee to evaluate the production of brackish water shrimp in 2022 and work out a solution to the development of production and consumption of brackish water in 2023.

According to reports by the Directorate of Fisheries, despite difficulties in 2022, as many as 1,080.6 thousand tons of brackish water shrimp were produced (up 8.5% from 2021), with 271.4 thousand tons of black tiger shrimp, 743.5 thousand tons of white leg shrimps, and the rest was giant river prawn and other types of shrimp. The export value reached USD 4.3 billion, up 11.2% from 2021.

Vietnam’s shrimp sector sets a target of producing 1,080 thousand tons of shrimp, exporting over USD 4.3 billion worth, which is a high number amidst market difficulties, especially climate change and inflation ahead.

MARD sets key tasks and solutions in 2023 so as to fulfill the plan. Accordingly, breeding stocks management, environmental survey and warning, disease outbreak control, advanced technology and science application will be paid attention to raise capacity, improve quality and productivity, satisfying the demand of the domestic and global markets.

Urgently reduce price
The increasingly high production cost, uncontrolled quality of breeding stocks, and low success rate of shrimp culture were discussed at the Conference of shrimp development in 2023. As for production cost, Võ Quang Huy, Chairman of the Mỹ Thanh Shrimp Association said: “Vietnam’s shrimp feed price is twice as much as Ecuador’s and one and a half times as much as India. Lack of capital was to blame. Thus, once farmers approach credit from banks, production cost will reduce by at least 15-20%”. He proposes to build standards for aquaculture facilities which will be a basis for bank appraisal.

Lê Văn Quang, Chairman of Minh Phú Seafood Corporation said that the high price of shrimp was not only attributed to increasing production cost but also low success rate of shrimp culture. Besides, Vietnam has not had enough SPF and SPR post larvae. “Post larvae decide over 60% of the success rate, thus SPR post larvae are needed besides SPF post larvae so as to satisfy requirements of all farming models”, proposed Quang.

Deputy Minister of MARD Phùng Đức Tiến concluded that the same difficulties must be prevented, specific solutions must be adopted and strictly carried out with quality, post larvae prices, feed, environmental warning and survey, probiotics, and disease outbreaks being paid attention.

MARD recommended localities to build plans and well prepare for countermeasures against disease outbreaks. A supply chain must be boosted with certified farming models being applied to improve product quality for export purposes.