FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Frozen-seafood exports to surge

Frozen-seafood exports to surge

With expectations of a higher supply of shrimp, frozen-seafood exporters foresee a brighter year, with the value of shipments rising by 20 per cent to Bt130 billion.

Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the industry should gradually recover in the new year as shrimp farms recover from a disease epidemic. Of the Bt130-billion export value of frozen seafood, Bt80 billion would be from shrimp and the rest from tuna and squid.
Exporters have expressed concern about fishing-area restrictions imposed by Myanmar and Indonesia, though these should be solved soon.
The seafood industry also expects the European Union to exclude the Thai shrimp industry from its list of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishery, as this country’s shrimp are mostly produced in farms and do not damage the environment as has been alleged. It is also hoped that international labour-rights accusations involving the fishery industry will be cleared up in 2015.
Poj said shrimp farmers and processors, seafood companies and the government agencies had worked closely to solve these problems. If they are successful, it will ensure stronger export growth for Thai frozen seafood.
He added that Thai enterprises had been struggling to add more value to their seafood products and ensure food safety, traceability, and freedom from antibiotics to serve high-end markets. If production standards are recognised as being high, Thai seafood will gain better acceptance in the world market.
In the first 10 months of this year, shrimp exports plummeted by 26.34 per cent in volume to 129,432 tonnes, and were down by 8.09 per cent in value to Bt51.72 billion, as supply was crimped. The United States is Thailand’s major export market for shrimp, accounting for 42 per cent of export value, followed by Japan with 24 per cent and the EU at 13 per cent. 
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