There was a decline in the Mekong Delta’s brackish-water shrimp production in the first-half of this year due to unfavorable weather conditions and disease challenges, confirmed the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). However, the reduction in supply and the subsequent lack of raw material for the country’s processors and exporters has led to a rise in raw shrimp prices. As a result, many farmers are actively stocking and renovating ponds.
At the same time, the farming area dedicated to the production of black tiger shrimp has been expanded slightly, yet production in the first six months of 2016 has remained on par with last year, at 103,244 metric tons (MT).
VASEP reported that in the first five months of this year, Vietnam exported USD 1.1 billion (EUR 994.9 million) worth of shrimp, up 5.9 percent year-on-year, with increased exports to its three main markets – the United States, the EU and China.
Overall, Vietnamese aquaculture production in H1 2016 decreased by 0.6 percent year-on-year to 1.6 million MT, while its wild-capture output increased by 3.1 percent, to 1.5 million MT.
Also within the Southeast Asian country’s aquaculture sector, there was a 5.5 percent reduction in the farming area dedicated to pangasius production in the Mekong Delta, which was attributed to disease problems and unstable demand from consuming markets. Despite this reduction, the output remained stable at 526,683 MT.
