The Bangladesh Shrimp Cultivators Association's Satkhira District held a press conference last week to discuss the shrimp industry's declining profits. Association President Dr. Aftabuzzaman reported that many shrimpers in Satkhira have lost interest in shrimp farming and have abandoned their farms to earn money elsewhere.
During the conference, the association requested that the government allow farms to export their products directly without going through exporters. Dr. Aftabuzzaman explained that exporters control the price, taking a big chunk of profit away from the farms.
Local shrimpers attending the conference announced that shrimp prices have been declining since last year. The price of 20-24-count shrimp has dropped to $7.30 per kilogram from last year's average of $10.22. Prices of 30-40-count shrimp also dropped to $4.74 from $7.30.
Last year, Satkhira produced 31,000 metric tons of shrimp. The farms' exports were worth U.S. $200,000. The most-popular shrimp species in Satkhira are black tiger shrimp and giant river shrimp.
