Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Shrimp industry to bounce back this year: agri dep't
THE shrimp industry in the country is expected to increase earnings to P6 billion in 2007 with the government's move of lifting the ban on the importation and culture of Pacific white shrimp or Peneaus vannamei.
Total income of the industry in 2006 was estimated at P4 billion.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap signed Fisheries Administrative Order 225, which lifted the ban on the entry and culture of white shrimp brood stocks into the country.
The move would make shrimp more affordable for low income Filipinos with prices going to as low as P150 to P200 a kilo in the local market.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2001 prohibits the entry of P. vannamei or Pacific white shrimps stocks into the country to protect the local sugpo or black tiger prawn from the dreaded Taura virus.
The positive development, Yap said, dovetails with the major thrust of DA in raising yields and incomes of small farmers and fishers at the same time pulling the cost of basic foodstuff for the benefit of ordinary consumers.
The lifting of the ban is part of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) rescuing the ailing shrimp industry and helping it regain in five years time the country's previous status as a global leader in the shrimp production.
The Philippines ranked 3 in the world but slid to 10th place in 2003 after being overtaken by the likes of Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
Industry players are optimistic that Philippines would soon capture the No. 2 slot next only to global leader China after local growers would have retooled their farms and trained extensively on the production of the specie.
The Pacific white shrimp survives better in captivity and needs less of the high-protein diet required of the Peneaus monodon or "sugpo" that is grown locally.
The producers are eyeing the United States, Europe, and Korea as potential international markets for P. vannamei.
The DA also plans to make the exotic commodity available to low income consumers in the "bagsakan" or barangay food terminals.
Yap said the Pacific white shrimp would lead to higher earnings for growers and exporters and the highly tolerant specie will be frown to some 5,130 hectares.
Last year, the industry generated P3 billion in exports and another P1 billion in domestic sales.
